Toward a More Complete History of Kinesiometrics (Kinesiometrics in Zagreb Research Methodology Circle)

Franjo Prot(1), Goran Sporiš(1), Rado Pišot(2) and Petr Blahuš (3)

Faculty of kinesiology, University of Zagreb(1)

Scientific and Research Center Koper(2)

Department of Physical education and sport, Charles University Prag(3)

Abstract.

In this paper development of kinesiometrics in Zagreb kinesiology circle is presented. Related

to previous experiences in observation and measurement of human movement the term

kinesimetrics appeared as kinésimétrie “kinesimetrie s.f. (ki-né-zi-mé-tri) – from greek:

kinésis, movement; metron, mesur), 19th century Francophone circle. It was Momirović

(1968/1969), who introduced the term “kineziometrija”, “kinesiometry” i.e.

“kinesiometrics”, in two papers published as outcome of Zagreb methodological circle the

term that incorporate measurement theory, statistics, and mathematical analysis in the area

of kinesiology. With equivalent goal, but 30 years later, i.e. in 1998., the term "kinesmetrics"

(Zhu) as a term for a discipline intended to develop and apply measurement theory. This short

overview is the core of a more elaborate presentation scheduled for introductory speech for

Research Methodology section at 8th International conference on Kinesiology at Opatija 2017.

Keywords. Kinesiometrics, kineziometrija, kinesmetrics, kinesimetrie, kinesiology,

measurement, research methods in kinesiology, Zagreb kinesiology circle, measurement

theory and application.

Introduction

From the beginning of second part of 19th century appearance of kinesiology, introduced as a

francophone term cinésiologie (Dally 1857, 1861), for the first time appeared in:

Dally, N. (1857). CINÉSIOLOGIE OU SCIENCE DU MOUVEMENT. dans ses reports avec

l’education, l’hygiéne at la thérapie, etudes historiques théoriques et pratiques. Paris: Librairie Centrale

des Sciences.;

Dally, N. (1861). Notice sur la CINÉSIE ou l’art du movement curative dans ses raportes avec les

mouvements naturels de l’organisme humain. Paris: G. Bailiére.;

as science of movement in education hygiene and therapy further developed through 20th and

first decade of 21st century the science of human kinetics i.e. kinesiology (“kineziologija”,

Croatian term).

What is today subsumed under the term kinesiology have been derived and integrated from

several main academic streams of development under the different names proposed as:

academic discipline of physical education in USA (Henry, 1964; Rarick 1967) ; human

movement studies i Great Britain, Canada and Australia (Whittnig, 1970's); Sportwissenshaft

in Germany, or science of physical culture, kinanthropology, anthropomotirka etc. More

globalised integration came out from relative independent and distributed polycentric

enterprises (Prot, 2015). Development of theory and application of measurement i.e.

kinesiometrics through 20th and first decade of 21st century transcended kinesiology from the

beginnings of scientific treatment of human motor behavior to fully developed academic

discipline of science of human movement as it is known today. Three independent

experiences or traditions developed similar or almost equivalent term related to the

observation and measurement human movement. The first one historically is related to

absorption of previous experiences in observation and measurement of human movement the

termed as kinésimétrie “kinesimetrie s.f. (ki-né-zi-mé-tri) – from greek: kinésis, movement;

metron, measur), what have been documented by Piere Larouse (1870) Grand Dictionnaire

Universel de XIX siecle. Tome 9th page 1211 (Figure 1.) and repeated again in Complement

de Dictionarie de l’Academie Francaise(1881), page 659.

Figure 1. The terms KINESIMETRIE and KINESIMETRIQUE

as presented in Piere Laruse (1870) Tome 9th, page 1211.

It was Momirović (1968/1969), who introduced the second one term “kineziometrija”,

“kinesiometry” i.e. “kinesiometrics”, in two papers published as outcome of Zagreb

methodological circle the term that incorporate measurement theory, statistics, and

mathematical analysis in the area of kinesiology. The term entitles his courese for his lectures

delivered at just opened graduate study of Kinesiology during 1971/72. Recorded lecture

notes were entitled “Short course in kinesiometry”(“Kratki kurs iz kineziometrije”; Figure 5.).

From that moment on kinesiometry became one of methodological sub disciplines of

kinesiology (Mraković, Momirović, Hošek-Momirović, Metikoš, Hofman and Prot; 1987).

Later on, the term “kineziometrija” had been included and presented in lexicographic

literature Sport Lexicon (1984) and Anić and Goldstein (1999, 2002) dictionaries (Figures 2.

and 3.).

Figure 2. The term kinesiometrics “kineziometrija” was introduced in Sport Leksikon (Sport

Lexicon) , “Kinesiometrics, statistics: scientific discipline dealing with problems of

measurement in kinesiology.” Page 201.

Figure 3. The term kinesiometrics “kineziometrija” was introduced to Anić-Goldstein’s dictionaries

at page 675 (Anić &Goldstein, 1999), and page 572 (Anić &Goldstein, 2002).

With equivalent goal the third one term "kinesmetrics" as a term for a discipline intended to

develop and apply measurement theory, statistics, and mathematical analysis in the area of

kinesiology (Zhu, 2010) appeared independently of previous two mentioned. The term

"kinesmetrics" was coined by Weimo Zhu in 1998 when after he created a new doctoral

program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA in 1999. Although the term

was introduced almost two decades ago, it is still unfamiliar to a certain number of

professional kinsesiologist outside North America and some other English and non English

speaking areas.

KINESIOMETRICS - Methodological Contributions from Zagreb Kinesiology Circle

Methodological research and achievements after 1971 in Zagreb methodology circle could be

divided into the following three areas of data analysis:

1. Kinesiometrics (development of new theoretical and applied measurement

models in measurement in kinesiology integrating measurement theory, multivariate

statistics, and data analysis)

2. Multivariate data analysis and statistics (new models, methods and

algorithms for data analysis)

3. Informatics (a field of computer science related to the development of new

software for information systems, data analysis and management)

Proposed names and labels of these sub-fields were introduced and became part of the

standard terminology used in the curricula at graduate and postgraduate studies.

The first recorded use of terms kinesiometric equivalent (kineziometrijski ekvivalent), and

kinesiometric mapping (kineziometrijsko preslikavnje) in kinesiometric sense are in

Momirovič (1969) articles: Mathematical Models for Programmed Teaching and Training,

page 16; and Education of Professionals for Application of Programmed Teaching and

Training, page 3., (Figure 4.).

Figure 4. Curriculum proposal for four semester university graduate (masters) level of study

of kinesiology; kinesiometrics (kinesiometrija) 112 hours.

It was K. Momirović, who introduced the term “kinesiometry” in his lecture notes for the

course entitled “Short course in kinesiometry”(“Kratki kurs iz kineziometrije”; 88 pp)

conducted at postgraduate study of Kinesiology during 1971/72, realizing the blueprint from

1969., (Figure 5.).

Figure 5. A part of the first page of student notes for the course on Kinesiometrics (“kineziometrija”)

at postgraduate study of Kinesiology, years 1971/72 at the College of Physical Education, with Title,

sub title and first sentence;

“APPLIED KINESIOLOGY”

“Short course in kinesiometry”

“It is a scientific discipline which deals with measurement problems in kinesiology.”

K. Momirović has been affiliated to Faculty of physical culture, University of Zagreb, and

University Computing Center SRCE (Zagreb), University of Zagreb (Prot at all. 2008).

Methods for determination of internal metric properties of measurement instruments were

continually in focus of his attention. In measurement theory alternative approaches to classical

test theory model are constantly being examined. Based on full assimilation of ideas of

Guttman (1953) and Harris (1962) he generalized the classical test theory, the generalization

being that the errors of measurement are permitted to exhibit correlated non constant

variability of error of measurements. Guttman ideas on partial image transformation

(Guttman, 1953; Kaiser 1963) and Harris (1962), and insight in Guttman-Rao relationships

leaded Momirović to new test theory model he named Guttman measurement model, to

honor Louis Guttman contributions. This, alternative, approach have been applied in

construction and reconstruction of composite measurement instruments i.e. composite tests

and questionnaires (see e.g., Momirović (1966, 1969, 1972, 1974); Zakrajšek, Momirović and

Dobrić (1976, 1977); Momirović and Gredelj (1980); Bosnar (1980); Momirović, Gredelj and

Dobrić (1981); Momirović, Pavičić and Hošek (1984); Momirović (1988)). A new general

model for the estimation of error of measurement, along with the measures of reliability and

representativeness were proposed (Momirović, 1974; Momirović and Dobrić, 1976;

Zakrajšek, Momirović and Dobrić, 1977; Momirović, Dobrić and Gredelj, 1978; Momirović

and Gredelj, 1980; Momirović, Pavičić and Hošek, 1984). Additionally, upper and lower

bound of reliability (under the new general model) were derived (Momirović, 1974, 1975;

Momirović, Pavičić and Hošek, 1984). That enabled objective definition and estimation of

homogeneity independently from the reliability itself. (Momirović, 1974 and1977).

The algorithms and implementations of programs were constantly improving from the initial

SS program (MAPANAL) through the upgraded versions RTT7 (Statistical System,

Momirović, 1980), RTT8 (GENSTAT version, Momirović and Prot (1986), along to the last

version RTT12G. RTT12G coded in 380 lines of SPSS macro language code has 15

productive sections presents 44 indicators of measurement properties (23 devloped by

Momirović & coauthors): Representativeness 6(2); Convergence of indicators 5(5);

Reliability(CTT) 5(0); Reliability(PC) 6(1); Reliability(GUTT) 5(5); Homogeneity 6(5);

Informativeness 4(3); Representativeness, reliability, and homogeneity of items 3; and

Internal validity 4(2).

The achievements in kinesiometrics , multivariate data analysis and statistics and

Informatics were reported in 30 papers published in the scientific journal Kineziologija in the

period from 1971 to 1984 (Prot, 2016), the Figure 7. and the Table 1.

Figure 7. Methodological articles in Journal Kineziologija in the period from 1971 to 1984

Table 1. Ranking of authorships for 30 published papers published in journal

Kineziologija from 1971 – 1984 in relation to authorship

Rank Author Frequencies of authorship

1. Momirović, Konstantin 26 2. Štalec, Janez 9

3. Bosnar (Bosnar-Vukić), Ksenija 7

4. Prot, Franjo 6

5. Zakrajšek, Egon 5

6. Horga (Rađenović-Horga), Smiljka 3

7. Viskić (Viskić-Štalec), Nataša 3

8. Dobrić, Vesna 2

9. Hošek, Ankica 2

10. Ignjatović, Ignjat 2

11. Karaman, Živan 2

12. Kovačević, Vojislav 2

13. Mejovšek, Milko (mlađi) 2

14. Radovanović, Borivoje 2

15. Wolf, Boris 2

16. Bala, Gustav 1

17. Gredelj, Marijan 1

18. Herak, Maja 1

19. Lužar, Vesna 1

20. Rudan, Pavao 1

21. Solarić, Silvija 1

22. Stojanović, Milutin 1

23. Varga, Mladen 1

24. Vukosavljević, Rajko 1

25. Zlobec, Leopold 1

UKUPNO 85

CONCLUSIONS

The term “kineziometrija”, “kinesiometry” i.e. “kinesiometrics”, appeared as outcome of

Zagreb methodological circle incorporating mathematical foundations, multivariate statistics

and data analysis in the area of kinesiology. Despite the different terms used: kinesimetry,

kinesiometry, kinesiometrics or kinesmetrics the unified tretment of subject is obvious.

Published papers in Journal Kineziologija in the period from 1971 to 1984 are pointing out

theoretical and practical importance of developments in kinesiometrics , multivariate

statistics and data analysis, and Informatics. The leader of that methodological group of

authors was profesor Kinstantin Momirović.

Late professors Konstantin Momirović, PhD. (1933-2004) and Petr Blahuš, PhD. (1944-2013)

are not physically among us any more to stand for their ideas, but their legacy remains.

REFERENCES:

1. Štalec, Janez; Momirović, Konstantin (1971): Ukupna količina valjane varijance kao osnov kriterija

za određivanje broja značajnih glavnih komponenata. Kineziologija, 1, 1:83-90. *

2. Momirović, Konstantin (1971): Jednostavna metoda za kvazikanoničku validaciju psihologijskih

mjernih instrumenata. Kineziologija, 1, 1:91-93. *

3. Momirović, Konstantin; Kovačević, Vojislav; Ignjatović, Ignjat; Rađenović-Horga, Smiljka;

Radovanović, Dobrivoje; Mejovšek, Milko; Štalec, Janez; Viskić-Štalec, Nataša (1972): Utjecaj

kriterija za zaustavljanje ekstrakcije faktora na strukturu dobijenu oblimin i varimax transformacijama

značajnih glavnih komponenata. Kineziologija, 2, 2:5-11.*

4. Momirović, Konstantin; Viskić-Štalec, Nataša; Štalec, Janez; Mejovšek, Milko; Ignjatović, Ignjat;

Radovanović, Dobrivoje; Rađenović-Horga, Smiljka; Kovačević, Vojislav (1972): Neke relacije

između struktura dobivenih transformacijom značajnih glavnih komponenata matrice interkorelacija i

značajnih glavnih osovina image matrice kovarijanci. Kineziologija, 2, 2:18-23. *

5. Momirović, Konstantin (1972): Standardna greška dijagnoze nekih individualnih testova za

mjerenje intelektualnog razvoja. Kineziologija, 2, 2:5-11. *

6. Zakrajšek, Egon; Momirović, Konstantin (1972): Određivanje broja značajnih faktora matrice

interkorelacija image varijabli. Kineziologija, 2, 2:13-17.*

7. Momirović, Konstantin (1973): Neke karakteristike koeficijenta korelacije dva testa kod kojih je

testovni rezultat određen kao prva glavna komponenta standardiziranih i normaliziranih itema.

Kineziologija, 2, 2:5-11.*

8. Momirović, Konstantin; Štalec, Janez; Zakrajšek, Egon (1973): Primjena generaliziranih image

transformacija u analizi relacija skupova varijabli. Kineziologija, 3, 2:45-56.*

9. Momirović, Konstantin; Štalec, Janez; Zakrajšek, Egon (1973): Određivanje broja značajnih glavnih

komponenata na temelju realne varijance matrice interkorelacija realnih i image varijabli.

Kineziologija, 3, 2:57-61.*

10. Momirović, Konstantin; Viskić, Nataša; Wolf, Boris; Horga, Smiljka (1973): Struktura nekih

kognitivnih faktora određena na temelju kriterija najmanjih kvadrata u kosokutnim faktorskim

prostorima. Kineziologija, 3, 2:63-69.*

11. Momirović, Konstantin; Zakrajšek, Egon (1973): Određivanje taksonomskih skupina direktnom

oblimin transformacijom ortogonaliziranih originalnih i latentnih varijabli. Kineziologija, 3, 1:83-92.*

12. Momirović, Konstantin (1974): Postupak za određivanje rezultata u psihologijskim testovima u

svrhu maksimiziranja homogenosti i pouzdanosti. Kineziologija, 4, 2:65-67.*

13. Zlobec, Leo; Varga, Mladen; Momirović, Konstantin (1974): CONTAB - Program za analizu

nominalnih i ordinalnih varijabli. Kineziologija, 4, 1:100-107.*

14. Momirović, Konstantin; Štalec, Janez; Wolf, Boris (1975): Pouzdanost nekih kompozitnih testova

primarnih motoričkih sposobnosti. Kineziologija, 5, 1-2:169-192.*

15. Stojanović, Milutin; Solarić, Silvija; Momirović, Konstantin; Vukosavljević, Rajko (1975):

Pouzdanost antropometrijskih mjerenja. Kineziologija, 5, 1-2:91-122.*

16. Zakrajšek, Egon; Momirović, Konstantin; Dobrić, Vesna (1977): Alternativna definicija mjere

pouzdanosti pod modelom koji dopušta nenulte kovarijance varijabli pogreške. Kineziologija, 7, 1-

2:157-160.*

17. Momirović, Konstantin (1978): Jednostavan postupak za analizu činilaca koji utječu na rezultate

natjecanja u judu. Kineziologija, 8, 1-2:149-153.*

18. Momirović, Konstantin; Gredelj, Marijan; Herak, Maja (1980): COCAIN - Algoritam i program za

kanoničku korelacijsku analizu. Kineziologija, 10, 1-2:117-123.*

19. Bosnar-Vukić Ksenija (1980) Algoritam i program za kanonočku korelacijsku analizu

nekvantitativnih podataka. Kineziologija, 10, 1-2:117-123.*

20. Bosnar, Ksenija; Prot, Franjo; Momirović, Konstantin; Lužar, Vesna; Dobrić, Vesna (1982):

Algoritam za procjenu pseudokanoničkih faktora. Kineziologija, 13, 1-2: 29-34.*

21. Momirović, Konstantin; Karaman Živan (1982): INDIFF – model algoritam i program za analizu

promjena stanja nekog objekta opisanog nad skupom kvantitativnih varijabli. Kineziologija, 13. 1-2, 5-

8.*

22. Momirović, Konstantin; Karaman Živan (1982): COLDIFF – model algoritam i program za

analizu kvantitativnih promjena spektralnom dekompozicijom inivarijatnih trajektorija. Kineziologija,

13. 1-2, 9-12.*

23. Štalec, Janez; Momirović, Konstantin (1982): Jednostavan algoritam za analizu hipotetskih

latentnih dimenzija. Kineziologija, 13, 1-2, 13-16.*

24. Štalec, Janez; Bosnar, Ksenija; Prot, Franjo; Momirović, Konstantin (1982): Elementarna

procedura za identifikaciju kinezioloških taksona. Kineziologija, 13, 1-2, 17-22.*

25. Momirović, Konstantin; Pavičić, Leo; Hošek Ankica (1982): Neki postupci za procjenu

pouzdanosti na temelju unikne varijance čestica kompozitinih mjernih instrumenata. Kineziologija, 13,

1-2, 23-28.*

26. Bosnar, Ksenija; Prot, Franjo; Momirović, Konstantin; Lužar, Vesna; Dobrić, Vesna (1982):

Algoritam za procjenu pseudokanoničkih faktora. Kineziologija, 13, 1-2, 29-34.*

27. Momirović, Konstantin; Bosnar, Ksenija; Štalec, Janez; Prot, Franjo (1983): HERAKLIT:

Algoritam i program za metričko multidimenzionalno skaliranje objekata opisanih nad skupom

nominalnih varijabli. Kineziologija, 15, 1:5-8.*

28. Momirović, Konstantin; Hošek, Ankica; Bosnar, Ksenija; Prot, Franjo (1984): Algoritam za

detekciju klika na osnovu strukture komunikacijskih mreža. Kineziologija, 16, 1:21-24.*

29. Bosnar, Ksenija; Momirović, Konstantin; Prot, Franjo (1984): Algoritam za diskriminativnu

analizu u Mahalanobisovom prostoru. Kineziologija, 16 , 1:31-36.*

30. Prot, Franjo, Hošek, Ankica; Bosnar, Ksenija; Momirović, Konstantin (1984): Algoritam i

program za analizu strukturalnih promjena. Kineziologija, 16, 1:25-29.*

31. Momirović, Konstantin; Štalec, Janez; Prot, Franjo; Bosnar, Ksenija; Pavičić, Leo; Viskić-Štalec,

Nataša; Dobrić, Vesna (1984): Kompjuterski programi za klasifikaciju, selekciju, programiranje i

kontrolu treninga. Zagreb: Fakultet za fizičku kulturu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu (155 str.).

32. Prot, Franjo (2008) Research Methodology in Zagreb Methodological Circle. Milanović and Prot

(eds) Proccedings of 5. International Scientific Conference on Kinesiology. Zagreb, Croatia: 661-672.

33. Prot, Franjo; Ankica, Hosek; Ksenija, Bosnar; Vesna, Luzar-Stiffler; Vesna, Hljuz Dobric;, Zoran,

Bekić; Marijan, Gredelj (2008): Konstantin Momirovic (1932-2004): Biography and Bibliography In:

Luzar-Stiffler, V., V. Hljuz-Dobric, Z. Bekic. Proc. ITI 2008 30th Int. Conf. Information Technology

Interfaces, Zagreb, University Computing Centre – SRCE, pp.200 (CD version: IEEE Cat.No.

CFP08498-CDR; ISBN 978-953-7138-13-4; ISSN 13342762).

34. Prot, Franjo; Rado, Pišot and Peter, Blahuš (2015): Kinesiometrics or Kinesimetrics or

Kinesmetrics or What's in a name? Abstract Book of 22nd International Symposiun on Biometrics, 28-

30 Jun 2015, Dubrovnik, Croatia: 26.

35. Prot, Franjo (2015): Toward a More Complete History of Kinesiology/Human Movement, Sport

and Exercise Science. Keynote lecture. Abstract book of 16th Congress of the International Society for

the History of Physical Education and Sport, “Coming from the past, working in present, looking to

the future: Aims, topics and results of sport history” August 18-22 2005. Split, Croatia: 39.

36. Prot, Franjo (2016): Metode istraživanja - Metode analize podataka u zagrebačkom

kineziologijskom krugu kroz objavu radova u znanstvnom časopisu Kineziologija u periodu od 1971

do 1984 godine. Zbornik radova 25. Ljetne škole kineziologa. 28.06. - 02.07. 2016. Poreč: 533-538.

37. Zhu, Weimo (2010): Birth, Growth, and Challenges of “Kinesmetrics” in USA. Annales

Kinesiologiae, 1, 2 : 95-111.