Examination of Athletes' Preferences for Practice Drills in a Group Response Restriction Analysis

Abstract

Two assessments derived from the applied behavior analysis (ABA) literature were conducted to understand rugby players' preferences for drills and the context in which their engagement was inconsistent. First, 32 female varsity rugby players aged 18 to 25 participated in a survey-based preference assessment. Next, 20 of the same players participated in an on-field response restriction (RR) preference assessment. Results from the survey-based preference assessment and the on-field response restriction preference assessment were consistent. Specifically, offensive and no-to-light contact drills were preferred over defensive and heavy contact drills. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of group-based preference assessments and how using ABA procedures may benefit varsity sports coaching to improve athlete performance.