Relationship Between Executive Functions and Physical Activity of Young Adults - Essay Example

? Physical Activity of Young Adults Relationship between executive functions and physical activity of young adults Introduction To determine the relationship between executive functions and physical activity, there was consideration of fifty seven young adults so as to obtain the right results. The young adults were twenty nine females and twenty eight males; this was to ensure balance in sexes. For ethical purpose, there was ethical approval from the Bruthel University ethics board in line with the British Psychological Society. This was to ensure that, during the study, no one gets hurt. There was use of devices such as a CRT monitor to display Stroop task, and the Eriksen flanker task, for the Trail-making task there is the use of PEBL (Psychology Experiment Building Languages). There is also using of questionnaires (Ernest, 2009). Summarisation of results There was an examination of the effects of a modification of a Stroop Task through separate analyses. There was also examination of a modification of the Eriksen Flanker Task as well as the TMT. Through the Stroop Task, there was the examination of the differences between conditions that are incongruent and those that are congruent. There are compatibility trials between the two conditions by use of the Eriksen Flanker Task. Thus, the Stroop Task main task is to analyse RT and the accuracy. The results got are in the data analysis table and various questionnaires. The instrument that got the results had the highest accuracy in that; there is no significant effect in both the tasks. Thus, showing the results got were precise, because, across compatibility conditions, there was no significant effect of physical effect. The precise results got were through the completion of a questionnaire that had short demographics. The questionnaire had the column for recording age, gender, the weight and the height of the young adults under study. There is a comparison of the body mass index using height and weight of the young adults. Researchers are then able to get the division of the weight by the square of the height of the young adults, thus finding the physical activity by manipulation of the body mass index. The results also had a report of the performance of the young adults in three months; thus there was an estimation of the amount of activity for the three months. From the results, there was a significant correlation between the maximum physical fitness and the portions that were in the questionnaires. The physical fitness of the young adults was from activities like running, jogging and walking. Physical activities can be gotten by determining the working memory capacity, got from the task (Suzanne, 2009). Interpretation of results From the hypothesis, it was obvious that a relationship would exist between the factors that were under manipulation. There is the study on older adults; this result was to compare with the results of the physical activities of young adults. The results from the young adults were consistent with that from the young adults in terms of working memory. From the results, it was evident that exercise had an impact on the process even before the parties under study were extremely old. The effect of exercise on cognitive function in young adults was small. From the results, there are deductions that exercise had a small effect on the working memory of young adults under study. The body mass index is essential for the determination of the level of physical fitness of individuals in the study. This is done by taking their weight and heights. The working memory capacity is necessary in getting the right effectiveness of physical exercise this is because, and the brain is much sensitive to change in blood flow inside the. Blood flow is due to much exercise, which leads to dilation of blood vessels. The observation took three months is essential to ensure consistency in the physical fitness activities. Thus, getting the average, and there is the determination of the average which is the most accurate value of activity level of the individuals (Ernest, 2009). Relevance to the hypothesis The hypothesis was that there was a relationship between the rates of doing exercise of young adults. The hypothesis had it that, greater participation in the physical activities would in the end create better performance. There would be a reasonable relationship considering conditions requiring executive control. From the results, it is conclusive from the study that, young adults who had undertaken in the aerobic training are fit than those that did not do exercises. Through the three tasks, it was the expectation of the researchers that, a correct response during the condition was the bases that the participants show misleading information. Thus from the observation, physically fit young adults have reaction time that is faster during the incongruent condition of each of the three tasks, thus are more efficient than those who are unfit and had not undergone any training. During the study, it was notable that fit, young adults had much greater activity during the three tasks relating to attentional brain circuitry. Through the study, the conclusion by the researchers was that, healthy fitness was due to better performance in the task and structure enhancement as well as executive functions of the brain areas. There is the making of investigation further that the lack of physical activities led to more time taken to perform a task this was an indicator that, physical activity had a positive impact on the physical and mental capabilities of young adults. This is a clear indication that results from the study were objective on the hypothesis under study (Suzanne, 2009). Comparison to past research By taking the research by Hillman where there is recording of the amplitude and latency of participants by using the Eriksen flanker task. Hillman found the revelation that, after the exercise session, the amplitude during the performance of the task was larger than the amplitude as seen from the baseline. This shows that excessive bouts of cardiovascular exercise affect the fitness of the neuroelectric resources that lay over the executive control. In the study, Hillman found that the effect of this fitness in young adults using a switching paradigm did not relate to participants who had low fitness and those having high fitness. Further, the functional MRI shows the findings that exercise in young adult’s effects the structure of the brain. This is through changes in the function of the brain after having some physical exercise. There is a finding that the brain has high levels of aerobic fitness in young adults, who do exercise than those who do not do exercises or do little exercise. These observations from earlier research and study seem to give the same results comparing to the results in this study. Recent research also from Pereira shows that, when young adults underwent a memory test and assessment of the changes in the cerebral blood volume in the hippocampus, as seen before an exercise and after the exercise training session. From the study, there are observations that, cerebral blood volume in the hippocampal dentate gyrus, in the brain section, would increase after the training session. This came in hand to a fitness exercise that had a positive impact on the individual. Thus, the flow of blood in the brain was better in young adults who did more physical exercise than those who did not (David, 2010). Considering a research activity by Erickson lately, where young adults walk moderately, they stretch or do tone exercise training. Blood flow in the brain takes a positive angle, from the research, as aging starts clipping in; the rate of blood flow in the brain slows, leading to impairment. Thus, young adults should do constant exercises to ensure that they have physical fitness as they get old. All these research relates to the research undertaken in this case. Importance of the study The study is vital as it helps young adults understand their duty in staying fit. The study shows the importance of physical activity on the molecular level of the brain of the individual. Regular physical exercise leads to enhancement of the mental stimulation in terms of mechanisms of the cell; they include the growth of new blood vessels and the birth of new neurons. Doing much exercise help enhances the vascular environment thus survival of existing cells, and formation of new ones. This helps immensely in enhancement of memory of individuals. Where from the study, individuals who do much physical exercise are faster learners and their memory are strong than the individuals who do less exercise, hence can learn new things and still remember what they have learnt. The study can also apply to patients bound to do much exercise to enhance their brain capacity. Thus, leads to production of more cells, these new cells help to fight the disease (David, 2010). The study also teaches the importance of physical activity on the cellular level. From the study, it is evident that, physical exercise helps in mental stimulation, hence more growth of the neurons. Physical exercise also enhances the production of insulin, in the blood. It is noteworthy from the study to note that, constant physical exercises aid neurogenesis and angiogenesis of the hippocampal. Thus from the study, there is making of a conclusion that, for young adults, doing exercises is essential to improve their brain capacity and thus improve their physical fitness, as physical fitness deteriorates with age (Richard, 2011). Limitation of the study During the study, there were faults that do not to support the theories and investigations made. During the study, smaller sizes of effects were on trace when no fitness level was on access directly through measurement through the process of maximal oxygen uptake. This method of estimating the level activity did not coincide with the method that is in play, in the study. Though there is evidence of validity of the three tasks in use to determine the level of physical activity, it is conclusive that, there is biasing in the self-report measures of the response of social desirability. Where though the number of males and females in use, in the study, is almost the same, there is no uniformity. Thus, there is the taking of people from the same area thus no consideration of other factors like, climate or the health condition of the individuals under study. The weakness in the study is that users of the information may think that the results simply imply the presence of cognitive differences that cause people to undertake physical fitness exercises (Paul, 2010). The devices in use may not have precise accuracy this is because there is no significant effect for the main accuracy effect, this implies that there is an estimation of the error that may occur in the study, and there is the propagation of the error thus the final results are not as concrete, thus confusing the final users of the information. The reaction time for the study may not have been so precise while trying to save time; this is due to the presence of many individuals who had to undergo study. Further, the formula in use may not be appropriate for all participants due to the difference in weight and height thus; causing the variance to be too bulky. There is taking of results separately thus error made in one too many undergoes propagation; thus the final results have a substantial error (Lawrence, 2009). There is the measurement of fitness using many tasks and questionnaires. Thus, it was prone to error and error propagation. The study would be better in the near future, if the studies of the relationship between executive function and physical activity were direct. This ensures that the use of many tasks that require devices like monitors, would undergo minimization, thus; improving the efficiency of the results because the study would either use few devices or none at all (Scott, 2008). Use of longitudinal interventional study; this entails the selection of intervention tutors, who may be control intervention tutors, there is training of the control intervention tutors, before the process intervention kicks off. There would be physical activity training on the individuals under study. The tutees would then be left to train for a short duration of time which is about five to six months, during this time of their training; there would be observation by the tutors on the progress of the tutees. There would be recording of the data in respect to the individual under training, where at the beginning of the physical exercise there is measuring of physical fitness of the individual by direct study. This would be redone after three months and finally after the six months. There would be averaging of results found, which would include the weight of individuals, and the height. The weight and heights of the individual would then calculate the body mass index, which would undergo manipulation to give the level of physical fitness. This method is efficient as the devices in use may entail; a meter rule and a weigh balance to measure the height and weight respectively (Jerrold, 2008). There is the study for three months. This period is not enough for individuals to undertake training on how to do physical exercise and then be left to do them by themselves. Thus, the period should be at least five to six months long to enable training and evaluation of the individuals. In addition, the reaction time should be sufficient to ensure that the young adults, get time to train more thus become more physically fit (Pamela, 2008). Measurement using the maximal oxygen uptake method is efficient to minimize the error because using this method there is the use of smaller sizes. Thus, future researchers should use this method instead of using the three tasks as in use, in the study; this would improve the accuracy level and thus precise results. The results should also entail a balance of the sexes where in the study, the female are more than the males thus, and the average would have a bias. The self-report instrument is validity is evident, though there may be bias in the measures of the self-report, where individuals under study would manipulate the results to show that they are doing enough exercise while they are not. In return, the results would not be right thus leading to wrong data entry, wrong calculations and thus the wrong inference; thus the use of intervention tutors would be efficient to avoid wrong data being in use. Future researchers should ensure able physical health of individuals under observation doing the fitness exercise. Where then people in use may have an illness which is unknown to the researchers, thus before commencing on the study. They should first make sure the fitness of individuals to undertake physical exercise tests, to avoid poor results from the study leading to wrong manipulation of data and thus the inference would be wrong. The number of individuals should also be small, where in the study the number of males and females is large thus, to complete each and every student time would be spent. Using a small, controllable group would be efficient to ensure that the results are the most precise (Scott, 2008). The study would give more precise results by use of more biological study techniques. This would enhance the study of the cellular activity in the individuals under study, as well as the brain capacity before, and after the physical fitness activity. This would make the results more precise and the accuracy level would increase (Jerrold, 2008). Conclusion on the discussion The study is better than past research study. This is because there is the use of better data collection tools and thus there are more precise results than earlier studies done. There is the accomplishment of the hypothesis which is to find a comparison between the physical fitness and the executive function. This is by taking the height and the weight of the male and female, young adults and manipulating them to get the body mass index, which undergoes manipulation further, to come up with a concrete relationship. From the study, then there is the accomplishment in the hypothesis of the study (Pamela, 2008). Reference David, F. (2008). Physical Fitness: A Guide for Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury. New York: Diane Publishing. David, H. (2010). Health Promotion and Aging: Practical Applications for Health Professionals. USA: Springer Publishing Company. David, H. (2010). Health Promotion and Aging: Practical Applications for Health Professionals. 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