Combining 3D-MOT With Sport Decision-Making for Perceptual-Cognitive Training in Virtual Reality

Abstract

This study introduces a virtual life-sized perceptual-cognitive training paradigm that combines three-dimensional multiple object tracking (3D-MOT) with motor (Experiment 1) or perceptual (Experiment 2) sport decision-making tasks. We sought to assess the impact of training on task performance and determine optimal training conditions for improvement and learning. Fifty-seven participants were randomly assigned to one of four training conditions (isolated 3D-MOT, 3D-MOT combined with a decision-making task, consolidated 3D-MOT later combined with a decision-making task, and isolated decision-making task). We evaluated task performance using speed thresholds, success rate (%), and reaction time (s). Findings were that the dual-task paradigm was associated with performance beyond chance level on both 3D-MOT and decision-making tasks despite an important dual-task cost. Interestingly, the results seemed to favor consolidated 3D-MOT training over simultaneous 3D-MOT training when combined with a motor decision-making task but not when combined with a perceptual decision-making task. The number of shared attentional resources in the nature of the additional task (i.e., perceptual or motor decision-making) seems to be key in interpreting the dual-task interference. These findings must be considered when designing representative multitask perceptual-cognitive training.

The Acute and Chronic Effects of Dual-Task on the Motor and Cognitive Performances in Athletes: A Systematic Review

“…Concerning the chronic effects, training with dual-tasks improved both motor and cognitive performance. Bherer et al [51] suggested that dual-tasks training leads to the development of new perceptual strategies (optimizing attentional focus for the relevant clues in the task) that contribute to improved decision-making [52], as supported by some findings of the present review [21,26]. The significant increase in the duration of the quiet eye [45] after training with dual-tasks indicate that the athletes directed their attention to specific spots for a longer time to extract relevant information for the tactical decision.…”

“…Secondly, the absence of a peer-review process would allow the inclusion of low methodological quality studies. Concerning the period of the review, we decided to include only recent articles (last six years, from January 2015 to May 2020) to reduce the methodological heterogeneity of the selected studies, since many of the current ones use tests and procedures recently proposed and validated (for example, 3D-motion [ 21 , 25 , 26 ]). Additionally, reviews on this topic were found in 2014, which would lead us to replicate the findings of previous reviews [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ].…”

Cognitive training in elite soccer players: evidence of narrow, but not broad transfer to visual and executive function

“…Table 3 in the Appendix), which seems to explain the lack of meaningful furthertransfer. Moreover, this lack also appears to be based on the specificity of the training task which includes some aspects of dynamic soccer situations but does not cover the perception and action combinations of these situations (Romeas, Chaumillon, Labbé, & Faubert, 2019). Thus, it could be argued that this dearth of several broad perception and action combinations may be one of the reasons for the absence of any further-transfer which is in line with a current review (Hadlow et al, 2018).…”

“…In terms of future practical application, it is highly interesting if those further progression steps yield larger further-or even far-transfer effects. A first dual-task study indicates the general superiority of dual-compared to single tasktraining with the NT 3D-MOT (Romeas et al, 2019).…”

Assessing Visual Exploratory Activity of Athletes in Virtual Reality Using Head Motion Characteristics

“…For different team sports there exists previous work investigating the feasibility of VR for assessing the decision-making process of team sports athletes [ 19 , 23 , 48 ]. In a study conducted by Wirth et al they used 360° video footage displayed via an HMD to investigate PCS of soccer players [ 19 ].…”