Tactical Differences in Problem Representations and Solutions in Collegiate Varsity and Beginner Female Tennis Players

Abstract

Youth tennis experts' tactical problem representations have been linked to their superior response selections during competition (McPherson & Thomas, 1989). To expand this research to adults, collegiate varsity (experts, n = 6) and beginner (novices, n = 6) female tennis players participated in an interview session to elicit problem representations and solutions to six tennis game situations. Interviews, transcribed verbatim, were coded for accuracy in solutions to each situation. Novices did not generate any solutions (actions), while experts generated similar and tactical solutions. Quantitative analysis of verbal data revealed expertise differences in problem representations and solution processes. Mann-Whitney U tests revealed that experts accessed more tactical and associated response selection and response execution concepts than novices. Findings indicate that experts will generate specialized cognitive processes to develop, monitor, and regulate their condition profiles and action plans during competition.

Procedural Knowledge, Decision Making and Performance in Women's Volleyball According to Age Group and Specific Experience

“…Previous studies have differentiated experts from novices mainly through divergences in age, years of experience, competition experience and players' ranking in their leagues [8][9][10]. In spite of the analysis of the extreme groups (i.e., experts and novices) having promoted valuable information to the research and practical domain this approach presents some limitations.…”

“…The expert-novice paradigm has been dominant in the sport expertise research [5,[7][8][9][10]. Findings indicate that the knowledge of expert players (namely classified according to their experience) in relation to the novices is larger, deeper, better planned, more structured and organized and more sophisticated.…”

“…The units of information were classified according to five main conceptual categories: goal concepts, condition concepts, action concepts, regulatory concepts, and do concepts [8]. Due to the reduced number of both regulatory and do concepts, and taking into account their similarity to action concepts, in the present study they were grouped into one functional unit, named action concepts.…”

“…The verbal reports were literally transcribed and a content analysis was carried out using a protocol model originally structured for tennis [8,9] and later adapted to the requirements of volleyball [17]. The units of information were classified according to five main conceptual categories: goal concepts, condition concepts, action concepts, regulatory concepts, and do concepts [8].…”

“…Although expertise is sport-specific [8,9] and, within it, function-and task-specific [15,16] research has been disregarding this important requirement. As such, it becomes important to consider experience in the specific function within the game in procedural knowledge, decision-making and game performance analysis.…”