Improving attendance at rugby practice : a behaviourial approach
Date
1991
Authors
Scott, David
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a lottery incentive system on attendance at rugby training sessions. Data was collected on 20 male, under-19 rugby players, who were requested to attend five weekly training sessions over a 24-week period. In all, three experiments were conducted, of which the first two followed an ABA design (baseline, intervention, return to baseline) and the third an AB design. Attendance was generally shown to increase when treatment was implemented and decrease when it was not in effect. Treatment consisted of the awarding of a playing card for each training session attended. At the end of each treatment week a cash prize was given to the player whose cards constituted the best poker hand. The three experiments differed slightly in the number of cards awarded on different days. In Experiment I, following the introduction of treatment, attendance rose above baseline levels before returning to, or near to, baseline levels following the withdrawal of treatment. This occurred across five specific conditions (Tuesday run, Tuesday practice, Wednesday weight training, Thursday run, Friday practice) as well as a weekly total. In Experiment II this pattern occurred in some but not all conditions in which treatment was implemented. In Experiment III, the pattern of baseline followed by an increase in attendance following the implementation of treatment occurred under only one condition. Attendance at the training sessions was seen to be affected by seasonal and person factors. It was concluded that a lottery incentive system can be effective in increasing attendance at rugby training sessions.