Perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport and its acquisition: Implications for applied cognitive psychology

Abstract

Summary: We review contemporary research on perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport and consider implications for those working in the field of applied cognitive psychology. We identify the important perceptual-cognitive skills that facilitate anticipation in sport and illustrate how these skills interact in a dynamic manner during performance. We also highlight our current understanding of how these skills are acquired and consider the extent to which the underlying processes are specific to a particular domain and role within that domain. Next, we briefly review recent attempts to facilitate the acquisition of perceptualcognitive expertise using simulation training coupled with instruction and feedback on task performance. Finally, we discuss how research on elite athletes can help inform applied cognitive psychologists who are interested in capturing and enhancing perceptual-cognitive expertise across various domains.

O efeito da idade relativa em copas do mundo de futebol masculino e feminino nas categorias sub-20 e profissional

“…Eles interpretam melhor o significado das informações disponíveis no jogo, buscam a informação de forma mais eficaz, detectam e reconhecem melhor os padrões estruturados de jogo ecostumam tomar decisões mais rápidas e mais apropriadas (BAKERet al, 2003;WILLIAMS et al, 2011). Portanto, a experiência que os jogadores adquirem durante o Rev.…”

Stroboscopic Visual Training: a Pilot Study with Three Elite Youth Football Goalkeepers

“…Given the constant desire to find marginal gains in professional sport, the prospect of improving visual and perceptual skills to gain an advantage has become increasingly popular (Williams et al 2011). SVT provides a new and promising method to achieve this, but the literature is still in its infancy and more research is needed to confirm its usefulness as a training tool for coaches and athletes.…”

Developmental activities and the acquisition of superior anticipation and decision making in soccer players

“…Anticipation is the ability of the performer to predict what is likely to happen prior to an event occurring, whereas decision making is the ability of the performer to select and execute an appropriate action in a given situation (Williams, Ford, Eccles, & Ward, 2011;. It is well documented that expert soccer players and athletes from other sports have demonstrated superiority over lesser skilled players in their ability to anticipate and make decisions (e.g., Helsen & Starkes, 1999;Vaeyens, Lenoir, Williams, Mazyn, & Philippaerts, 2007;Williams & Davids, 1998).…”