| Summary: | I. The problem end purpose of this research.
In the past various studies were undertaken to establish
the existence of significant intellectual and physical differences
between the races of mankind. Research has proved
sufficiently that there are significant differences between
American Whites and American Negroes as well as between South
African Whites and the Bantu inhabitants of South Africa.
This fact was also established in other African states, like
Kenia, and Southern and Northern Rhodesia.
Differences between the Caucasian and Negro races have
already been ascertained in respect of their build of body,
anthropometric measurements, colour, blood constitution, mental
abilities, diseases contracted by them and their moral behaviour.
Whether the above-mentioned differences are inherited or are
the result of sociological and environmental influences is not
a foregone conclusion yet. Scientific evidence, however, tend
to point to the first possibility.
The most important aim of this research was also to
ascertain whether the South African White men and men of Bantu
descendance differ significantly in respect of physical abilities
as established by scientific tests with regard to physical fitness.
A secondary purpose was to determine whether chronological
age has any influence on the physical achievement of White and
Bantu men after the age of nineteen up to the age of thirty five.
A tertiary purpose was to construct a test battery by
which the physical fitness of such adults can be tested.
II. The method of research.
A preliminary test of 15 items was applied on 45 students
in the Physical Education Department of one South African
University for Whiter. Out of these 15 items 6 items were
selected by way of statistical methods. These 6 items had a
high correlation coefficient, viz 0.96 with the preliminary test
battery.
By using the data obtained by means of the preliminary
test, achievement scales (T-scores) were constructed. These
scales were to be used to transfer the raw points into scale
points, i.e. percentage.
The 6 item test battery was administered to 293 Bantu and
277 White men between the ages of 19 and 35. The 6 items of
the test battery were back strength, standing broad jump, 60
yards shuttle run, shot put, pull-ups on the horizontal bar and
800 feet shuttle run. In addition the length and weight of the
body of the test subjects were also recorded. The test subjects
included persons from as many areas, professions and
ethnological groups as possible.
The selected data were statistically compiled and the
achievement of the Whites and non-Whites were compared. For
the purpose of comparison the test subjects of each race were
divided into three age groups, viz: 19- to 24-, 25- tot 29-
and 30- to 35 years.
Because the White men were longer and had a greater body
weight than the Bantu men, it was necessary to find a method
or methods of comparing the two racial groups when the factors
of body weight and length were eliminated. This was done by
two methods: in the first instance by random sampling and in
the second instance by computing a multiple regression equation.
III. The results of the research.
The results of this research are to be found in tables I
to LXXXIX, and also in graph 1 to graph 47. In the main the
following results were established:
1. The White men are significantly heavier and longer than
the nun-White men. The White men became heavier with
an increase in chronological age while the body weight
of the non-White men remained stationary.
2. The White men surpassed the non-White men in physical
achievement.
3. The non-White men were able to do more pull-ups than the
White men, due to th8 greater body weight of the latter.
4. The physical achievement of the White men began to decline
after the age of 24. The decline (retrogression) in the
physical achievement at the non-Whites appeared after
the 29th year.
5. The best achievement of the Whites was obtained in the
shot put. On the other hand their poorest achievement
was in the 60 yards shuttle run.
6. The non-Whites achieved their highest score in pull-ups,
and their lowest score in the standing broad jump.
7. The physical differences between the two racial groups are
inherited and cannot be attributed to environmental
factors only.
8. The Negro overlap over the White arithmetical mean in
mental achievement varies between 10% to 31%. According
to the findings of this research the overlap of the non-White
men over the arithmetical mean of the White men
varies between 6.14% in the standing broad jump to 62.8%
in pull-ups. The non-White overlap over the White in
physical achievement was 22.5%.
9. A valid, objective, and reliable test battery for the
measurement of general physical achievement was constructed
as well as norms for the use of this test battery. === Proefskrif--PU vir CHO
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