Looking beyond the binary: an extended paradigm for focus of attention in human motor performance

Gose, Rebecca; Abraham, Amit

doi:10.1007/s00221-021-06126-4

Cited by 6 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 142 publications

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“…Our study failed to provide support for the suggestion that perception is cognitively controlled by means of mental imagery [11]. Therefore our findings contradict the suggestion that MI should be applied to attentional focus strategies [29]. Our findings are also in contrast to several recent works which investigated the role of MI on motor behavior during different attentional focus conditions.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, attention and mental imagery, although mainly studied separately in sport science and rehabilitation, are closely inter-connected factors. To this extent, recent works suggest that mental imagery should be applied to attention [29] as both of them involve cognitive [30] and perceptual processes [28,31] and share common neurocognitive circuits with perception [32,33]. Furthermore, it seems that mental imagery is dependent upon attentional resources [34] and conversely, mental imagery may also impact attention [35].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Is cognitive control of perception and action via attentional focus moderated by motor imagery?

et al. 2023

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Motor imagery (MI) has emerged as an individual factor that may modulate the effects of attentional focus on motor skill performance. In this study, we investigated whether global MI, as well as its components (i.e., kinesthetic MI, internal visual MI, and external visual MI) moderate the effect of attentional focus on performance in a group of ninety-two young adult novice air-pistol shooters (age: M = 21.87, SD = 2.54). After completing the movement imagery questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3), participants were asked to complete a pistol shooting experiment in three different attentional focus conditions: (1) No focus instruction condition (control condition with no verbal instruction) (2) an internal focus instruction condition, and (3) an external focus condition. Shot accuracy, performance time, and aiming trace speed (i.e., stability of hold or weapon stability) were measured as the performance variables. Results revealed that shot accuracy was significantly poorer during internal relative to control focus condition. In addition, performance time was significantly higher during external relative to both control and internal condition. However, neither global MI, nor its subscales, moderated the effects of attentional focus on performance. This study supports the importance of attentional focus for perceptual and motor performance, yet global MI and its modalities/perspectives did not moderate pistol shooting performance. This study suggests that perception and action are cognitively controlled by attentional mechanisms, but not motor imagery. Future research with complementary assessment modalities is warranted to extend the present findings.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is cognitive control of perception and action via attentional focus moderated by motor imagery?

et al. 2023

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“…Instructing the movement of limbs directly (move arms and shoulders in a plane), instructing the imagination of moving parts of the body (move like a platform) or imagination of environmental effects (move an outlying platform) show a continuum of instructions providing interaction of the athlete and the environment linked with the task goal. Gose and Abraham [ 46 ] underpinned that IF or EF instructing should not be seen as binary choice, but rather as a continuum of options for creating helpful movement descriptions and tasks.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Focus of Attention in Coach Instructions for Technique Training in Sports: A Scrutinized Review of Review Studies

Werner

Federolf²

2023

JFMK

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Literature reports superior performance when focusing one’s attention during a movement on environmental effects of that movement (external focus, EF) compared to focusing on the moving body (internal focus, IF). Nevertheless, IF instructions still play an important role in the daily practice of coaches, trainers, and therapists. The current review compiles evidence for focus-of-attention concepts on movement form corrections and technique training. Reviews on the topic and selected additional papers addressing the effect of attentional focus on movement form or on kinetic, kinematic or muscle activity data were included. Both EF and IF instructions affect movement form. The reviews revealed that IF instructions seem to be better applicable to direct movement form changes than EF instructions. In contrast, EF instructions better facilitate optimization within the whole-body coordination, often resulting in better performance outcomes not directly linked to movement pattern changes. Several studies discuss focus-of-attention effects in the context of the optimal feedback control theory expanding on the constrained action hypothesis. In summary, EF and IF instructions both affect form and performance of movements, however, their relative efficacy is situation dependent. The often-purported superiority of EF over IF instructions cannot be generalized to all application contexts.

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“…Language to describe this recursive processing pattern includes shifting between conscious and unconscious, implicit and explicit, exploration and elaboration, divergent and convergent, deliberate and spontaneous, and/or analytic and insight (Dietrich, 2019). When movement is the mode of creative expression, the above recursive processing may continue to operate; however, the dynamic integration of complex motor-based neurophysiological systems must co-exist with cognitive-based idea generation and exploration (Blasing et al, 2012;Dietrich, 2008Dietrich, , 2019Gose & Abraham, 2021).…”

Section: Creative Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Examining dancers' creative processing experiences and flow states (dispositional and state) necessitates an awareness that many motor control factors influence flow states as well as movement‐based creative explorations. A major motor control factor is sustained focused attention, whether internally or externally directed or dynamically shifting between these two polarities (Gose & Abraham, 2021). The ability to sustain attention promotes absorption states and amplifies awareness and concentration.…”

Section: Creative Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

Creativity and Flow: Not a Simple Relationship

Thomson

Jaque

2023

Journal of Creative Behavior

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In this study, flow, both dispositional and state, and movement‐based creative processing were investigated in a group of pre‐professional and professional dancers (N = 288) who were involved in the creation, rehearsal, and performance of a new dance work(s). Dance is both movement‐based and group‐based. The Experience of Creativity Questionnaire and Dispositional Flow Scale were administered 2 weeks prior to the performance of the new choreography. The state flow data were collected immediately after the completion of the final dress rehearsal and immediately following the opening night performance. The results of this quasi‐experimental study demonstrated that the association with creative processes and dispositional flow dimensions yielded weak significance. Many creative processing dimensions predicted state dress and performance flow conditions, although the predominant predictors were Clarity and Preparation, Creative Anxiety (negative predictor), and Beyond the Personal. The uniqueness of this study was that it focused on movement‐based creative processing and its relation with dispositional and state flow.

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Looking beyond the binary: an extended paradigm for focus of attention in human motor performance

Cited by 6 publications

References 142 publications

Is cognitive control of perception and action via attentional focus moderated by motor imagery?

Is cognitive control of perception and action via attentional focus moderated by motor imagery?

Focus of Attention in Coach Instructions for Technique Training in Sports: A Scrutinized Review of Review Studies

Creativity and Flow: Not a Simple Relationship

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