The impact of group size on the development of the social elements in Gymnastics for All: an analysis based on Motor Praxeology

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to analyse the relationship between group size (number of gymnasts) and the development of four variables of the social dimension of Gymnastics for All: friendship, social skills, active participation, and social activities. Regarding the methods, the study is quantitative, and a questionnaire was applied to 378 members of 22 Brazilian GfA groups. The results indicate that small groups (≤19 participants) have higher levels of friendship, social skills and active participation than large groups (≥20 participants). It is concluded that the GfA activities and the social relations derived from it show coherence with the Motor Praxeology theory (systemic), becoming more complex as the number of participants increases within the groups (greater informational-relational complexity).

Keywords:
Motor action theory; Sociometry; Social skills; Friendship