Validity Of Kraus-Weber Physical Tests Disputed

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28981, 24 August 1959, Page 13

Validity Of Kraus-Weber Physical Tests Disputed

■ The standard test for physical ■ fitness on which the vice-presi- ■ dent of the New Zealand Physical ■ .Education Society (Mr s. A. ■ Lewis), has based claims of un- ■ fitness in 38 per cent of New ■Zealand youth, is not a valid test ■of Physical fitness, according to ■Mr B. E. Richardson. ■4 At present a post-graduate ■ Student at the Christchurch ■ flteachers College, Mr Richard- ■ ion graduated with a diploma of ■ physical education from the Uni- ■ versity of Otago last year. ■ “The test used — the Kraus- ■ Weber test—consists of five ■ strength sub-tests, assessing ■ mainly abdominal and back ■ strength, and one flexibility sub- ■ test—in which the subject is re- ■ quired to stand with his knees ■ straight, with heels together, and ■ then bend and attempt to touch ■the floor ” Mr Richardson said. ■ "To achieve a pass in the ■Kraus-Weber tests the subject has ■to pass all six of these sub-tests. ■One failure is sufficient to designate the child as being unfit. B/ 1 * 6 flexibility sub-test defends to a large degree upon the ■objects structure. A person Knust have the right bodily proportions to be able to perform ■this test Many persons are too in the upper limb to be •ble to reach as far as their toes. ■ Peak Ages for Failures ■ “It does appear strange that the Kwak ages for failures in strength in three areas tested—- ■ America, Europe, and New Zea- " arkedls '" * In New Zealand, 58 per cent ■ailed at the age of six years, ■n America, 45 per cent failed at ■* years. In Europe. 6 per cent ■ailed at 12 years. fB “The large number of failures six years in New Zealand, may ■ossibly be associated with the prescribed life pattern that the ■ Junket system dictates that P'ery child should follow—it ■lust be average height average pfJSht and generally be average. ■ “In America and Europe, the percentages occur around |Ke time of the onset of puberty. MH this is a causative factor, it does not appear to New Zealand results.

Newj 8 for the failures of chlldren in the ctel^i' W # ber tests decrease of six onTblS 18 » nOt the CaSe With finrt f e ?u can fi F ures ’ where we "„ that the P eak age for failures is ii years. JJL J d “ re «ard the tests childre n under SaiJ? 10 years (a not altogether false move, as in manv cases children under this age do fuH Stand , mean ing and fii « niflcance of these tests and not t « y ? s much « the y hMlm’erged a neW pattern

The New Zealand failure rate drops from 38.3 per cent, to 30 2 per cent., while the American failure rate increases from • P er cei ?t- to 64.4 per cent., ia 3 e c ?? sider only the 10 to 16-year-old age group.

t Definition of Fitness Do these tests measure physical fitness? Before deciding this we must define what we mean by ?£ess. Mr Lewis said recently: By fitness, I mean strength, endurance, agility, flexibility, and °f heart and lungs.’ Mr Lewis’s definition, however. does not include the degree to which these factors must be P L e ® ent ;’’,, Mr Ric hardson said. The following could well be added to this definition: '. . . to a sufficient degree to enable a person to carry out his normal activities satisfactorily.’ "Now that we have a definition we must decide whether the test . Physical fitness. Strength is undoubtedly associated with fitness, therefore the first five sub-tests seem valid enough. A certain degree of flexibility is also associated with fitness, but I certainly do not think that this can be assessed by, the Kraus-Weber test. "To fail a person in this test because he is unable, because of structure, to perform the flexibility sub-test, is very unjust, and is certainly not a measure of physical fitness,” Mr Richardson said.