Basketbal Based Motor Cognitive Training Promotes Adolescents' Personal Growth Initiative and Reduces Reliance on AI

The CMDT group was required to complete both motor and cognitive exercises simultaneously. The training was designed to enhance behavioral and cognitive abilities based on the characteristics of the four dimensions of the PGI. The plan was to stimulate the PGI through various scenarios. For example, the offensive time limit was set at 12 or 10 seconds to train the "readiness for change" dimension. During the training period, the experimental group completed a 12-week training program divided into four phases, with three tasks in each phase. Coaches will distribute the training sessions for the three tasks evenly across each phase. Each training session includes a warm-up and dynamic decision-making phase (10 minutes), combining dribbling with visual search tasks to quickly locate markers or teammates on the court; a cognitive-motor integration training phase (40 minutes), incorporating inhibitory control into offensive and defensive drills-such as sudden change-of-direction commands vi

Participants engaged in basketball fundamentals and competitive drills (dribbling, passing, shooting, and simple tactical exercises) at the same intensity and frequency, but without incorporating any additional cognitive tasks or conducting structured debriefings, in order to isolate the cognitive training component. Aside from the inclusion of cognitive tasks, the two groups were matched in terms of training content, venue, coach qualifications, and intensity. A standard individual training session consists of a warm-up phase (10 minutes), a training phase (40 minutes), and a cool-down phase (10 minutes). Following basic training principles, the coach focuses on dribbling fundamentals, incorporating various hand movements, speed changes, and directional shifts, and concludes the session with shooting or moves around the basket.

The Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II consists of 16 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The PGIS-II scale has four subscales: Resource Utilization (3 items, e.g., "When I try to change myself, I seek help"), Intentional Behavior (4 items, e.g., "I seize every opportunity to grow"), Planning (5 items, e.g., "I set realistic goals for the changes I want to make"), and Readiness for Change (4 items, e.g., "When I am ready to make specific changes in myself, I can recognize it") . Subscale scores are calculated by averaging the item scores for that subscale. The total scale score is calculated by averaging the scores of the four subscales. Higher scores indicate higher levels of PGI and its subscales.

Dependence on artificial intelligence technology is measured using the Conversational AI Dependence Scale . The scale consists of four dimensions and 20 items: lack of control, withdrawal symptoms, emotional changes, and negative effects. The scale uses a five-point rating scale (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree); the higher the total score, the greater the dependence on artificial intelligence technology.

The Chinese revised version of the Critical Thinking Disposition Scale (CTDS), developed by Sosu (2013) , was used. The scale consists of 11 items and includes two dimensions: critical openness (7 items, measuring an individual's openness and acceptance of new perspectives and feedback from others) and reflective skepticism (4 items, measuring an individual's tendency to question and carefully evaluate information rather than blindly accept it). A 5-point Likert scale was used (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree); higher scores indicate stronger critical thinking dispositions.