Improving Perceptual Decision-Making Skill in Volleyball In-Out Situation Using Cognitive-Motor and Spatial Awareness Calibration Training

Abstract

Perceptual decision-making plays a vital role in volleyball, especially during in–out situations where players must quickly decide whether a ball will land inside or outside the court boundary. This study compared two active perceptual–cognitive training approaches—cognitive–motor inhibition training (CMIT) and spatial awareness calibration training (SACT)—for improving in–out decision accuracy among junior high school students. Using a quasi-experimental, active-comparison pretest–posttest design, 80 Grade 7 students (aged 12–14 years) from a public secondary school in Valencia City, Bukidnon were assigned to two intact groups of 40, with one group receiving CMIT and the other SACT. Both interventions ran for six weeks, with sessions held twice weekly. Decision accuracy was assessed using an observation-based scoring procedure that recorded correct in–out decisions across 18 fixed trials, expressed as a percentage of correct decisions. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-tests, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) at the 0.05 significance level. Both groups scored in the moderate range at pretest and the very high range at posttest, and paired-samples t-tests showed significant pretest-to-posttest gains in decision accuracy for each group. Because the study compared two active interventions without a no-treatment control group, these within-group gains cannot be attributed to the interventions alone. After controlling for pretest scores, ANCOVA showed no significant difference between the two interventions; however, a pronounced ceiling effect—most participants reaching the top category at posttest—restricted score variance and the test’s sensitivity to detect a between-group difference, so this result should not be interpreted as evidence that the interventions are equivalent. The findings indicate that both CMIT and SACT were associated with improved in–out decision accuracy, while no firm conclusion can be drawn about their relative effectiveness. The results highlight the value of integrating perceptual–cognitive drills, such as inhibition exercises and spatial awareness training, into school-based volleyball instruction.