Computer work influence on some characteristics of children psychomotor efficacy in school pupils with regard to some selected biological and environmental conditions

Computerisation causes not only positive but also negative aspects which constitute some problems not only for adults but also for children. Children spent a lot of time at the computer, both at school and at home. The research goal, was the assessment of the influence of a two hour work session on psychomotor aptitude in children aged 13-15. Research included 98 pupils (49 girls and 49 boys) of 7th and 8th grades of two primary schools of Wrocław. Examined subjects attended two hours long IT classes during which they worked with computer. For each pupil, the tests were performed twice a day-before and after the job. The results were analysed separately in accordance to sex, access to the computer and ability of learning. Statistical analysis of results helped to form the following conclusions: In comparative studies, psychomotor efficacy before and after two hours of work with a computer tended to worsen which was observed in delayed reaction to light and sound stimuli in girls as well as the number of committed errors in differentiating reaction in boys. Psychomotor efficacy of the group with the computer access outside the school did not differ significantly from psychomotor efficacy of children without it. School learning results did not have much in common with psychomotor efficacy of the examined children.