Effect of Goal-Setting and Visual Feedback on Rower Performance on a Rowing Machine

Abstract

In the sport of rowing, the rowing machine is often used as training tool for exercise on land. This study seeks to assess how the commonly used rowing machine in the sport of rowing be used in the best way to mimic on-water visual stimuli in relation to performance (speed) for the rower. Twenty adolescent women from a youth rowing club in the Southeast, USA participated in a study meant to determine how the pace boat feature on Concept2 rowing machines affects their performance. Using a multiple baseline across-groups treatment design, participants were divided into two groups based on the amount of experience with using a Concept2 rowing machine. During the baseline condition, participants received performance feedback textually from the rowing machine’s display screen. The treatment condition provided athletes with visual performance feedback on the rowing machine’s display screen. The results highlighted how participant performance is affected by exclusive visual performance feedback as opposed to the conventional textual performance feedback that is common when using a rowing machine.