The Agent-Environment Interface: Simon's Indirect or Gibson's Direct Coupling?

Shaw, Robert E.

doi:10.1207/s15326969eco1501_04

Cited by 65 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The representational approach to human performance considers 182 representations as containing meanings of symbols (i.e., perceptual encoding of stimuli 183 in the brain, motor programs decoding intentions from brain, through the nervous 184 system, to physical apparatus for coordinating actions, e.g., muscles, joints, limbs, 185 bones)(see Araújo, 2007, Shaw, 2003. Representations are assumed to 'stand for' 186 things in the world and things in the body.…”

Section: Theoretical Criticisms: the World Is Its Best Model 181mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ecological cognition: expert decision-making behaviour in sport

Araújo

Hristovski

Seifert

et al. 2017

International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology

175

165

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3Expert decision-making can be directly assessed, if sport action is understood as 4 an expression of embedded and embodied cognition. Here, we discuss evidence for this 5 claim, starting with a critical review of research literature on the perceptual-cognitive 6 basis for expertise. In reviewing how performance and underlying processes are 7 conceived and captured in extant sport psychology, we evaluate arguments in favour of 8 a key role for actions in decision-making, situated in a performance environment. Key 9 assumptions of an ecological dynamics perspective are also presented, highlighting how 10 behaviours emerge from the continuous interactions in the performer-environment 11 system. Perception is of affordances; and action, as an expression of cognition, is the 12 realization of an affordance and emerges under constraints. We also discuss the role of 13 knowledge and consciousness in decision-making behaviour. Finally, we elaborate on 14 the specificities of investigating and understanding decision-making in sport from this 15 perspective. Specifically, decision-making concerns the choice of action modes when 16 perceiving an affordance during a course of action, as well as the selection of a 17 particular affordance, amongst many that exist in a landscape in a sport performance 18 environment. We conclude by pointing to some applications for the practice of sport 19 psychology and coaching and identifying avenues for future research. How expert athletes decide to do what they do is a topic that has interested 27 scientists for several decades (e.g., Beise & Peasley, 1937), and particularly sport 28 psychologists(e.g., Straub & Williams, 1984). It has been argued that sport is a most 29 appropriate context for studying expert decision-making (Gilovitch, 1984, Gilovitch et al, 30 1985. According to Gobet (2016), sport is a domain of expertise, where expertise relies 31 on perception: "experts literally 'see' things differently compared to novices" and "these 32 differences in perception and knowledge affect problem solving and decision making" 33 (Gobet, 2016, p.7). 34 Predicated on these ideas, studies of decision-making in sport have intensively 35 tested athletes'perception and anticipation, attention, memory, and decision-making. 36An important gap emerges immediately: decision-making in sport, by following trends 37 in cognitive psychology, has neglected the important role of action and its constitutive 38 role in cognition (Araújo, Ripoll & Raab, 2009;Prinz, Beisert & Herwig, 2013; Wolpert & 39 Landy, 2012). In this article, we critically overview research on the perceptual-cognitive 40 basis of decision-making, before we present an action-based alternative, from the 41 ecological dynamics framework, clarifying repercussions for theory and research in 42 sport psychology. 43 44The perceptual-cognitive framework for the study of decision-making in sport 45Currently, the perceptual-cognitive view of decision-making tends to focus on 46 use of perception, memory and decision-making tas...

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Section: Theoretical Criticisms: the World Is Its Best Model 181mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These physical relations are needed for this experience to occur. (Shaw, 2003). Importantly, 524 to be aware of an affordance is not to have some kind of belief about the world (e.g., 525…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological cognition: expert decision-making behaviour in sport

Araújo

Hristovski

Seifert

et al. 2017

International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology

175

165

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…control parameters). In addition to focusing on the emergent property of behaviour, the complex systems approach supports the work of Gibson (1979), who posited that individuals relate to their environment by direct informational coupling without the mediation of symbols (Shaw, 2003). From the complex systems perspective, movement variability is not perceived as detrimental or as the reflection of inconsistency in a motor skill, but rather as a key signature of adaptability .…”

mentioning

confidence: 93%

What Variability tells us about motor expertise: measurements and perspectives from a complex system approach

Komar

Seifert

Thouvarecq

2015

Mov Sport Sci/Sci Mot

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Abstract. In this review, we revisit the concept of movement variability in motor expertise from the perspective of complex systems theory; we do so by defining performers and their relationships with the environment. The complex systems perspective places the focus on the functional role of movement variability as an emergent response to interacting constraints as performers pursue taskgoals. We therefore show how the shift in theoretical focus towards the functional role of variability has entailed a reconsideration of the way this key property of motor expertise should be assessed. We then present the main theoretical issues surrounding movement variability and expertise through examples of empirical applications of the relevant tools and concepts in the sport and movement sciences.Key words: Expert performance, adaptability, degeneracy, cluster analysis, recurrence quantification analysis Résumé. Ce que la variabilité motrice nous apprend sur l'expertise : mesures et perspectives du point de vue des théories de la complexité.À travers cette revue, nous revisitons le concept de variabilité motrice et sa relation à la notion d'expertise à partir d'un point de vue emprunté aux théories de la complexité. Pour cela, nous nous intéressons dans un premier temps à un niveau général qui décrit la relation qu'entretient un sujet avec son environnement. Au sein de cette relation sujet-environnement, une perspective issue des théories de la complexité porte alors une attention toute particulière au rôle fonctionnel de la variabilité motrice comme propriété émergente de l'interaction de contraintes pesant sur le sujet. À partir de ce postulat, nous proposons ensuite de reconsidérer la manière dont la variabilité motrice est évaluée à partir de l'utilisation de statistiques non-linéaires ou non-supervisés, ceci afin de répondre à cette acception de la variabilité comme élément clé de l'expertise motrice. Enfin, nous présentons quelques exemples de questionnements théoriques soulevés par notre positionnement à travers un approfondissement d'études empiriques réalisées dans le domaine du sport et des sciences du mouvement humain.

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“…The enriching of mental representations, as argued by Ericsson and colleagues (Ericsson, 2007;Ericsson & Smith, 1991a) (Shaw, 2003). Specifying and grounding involve decreasing conventions through perception; therefore, there is a need for direct perception in specifying and grounding because without direct perception of the real world a symbol loses its meaning (Shaw, 2003).…”

Section: Pedagogical Expertisementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specifying and grounding involve decreasing conventions through perception; therefore, there is a need for direct perception in specifying and grounding because without direct perception of the real world a symbol loses its meaning (Shaw, 2003).…”

Section: Pedagogical Expertisementioning

confidence: 99%

The acquisition of pedagogical expertise in dance : a constraints-led approach

Rodrigues¹

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The aim of this PhD research program was to explore the acquisition of pedagogical expertise in dance teachers. A review of the literature on dance pedagogy and expertise revealed three limitations in relation to dance teachers' pedagogical development. First, the literature suggested that a dancer's transition to teacher was traditionally based on replication of previous teachers' behaviours.Second, the literature additionally identified that there appears to be a tendency within the dance field to accept as dance teachers those who have rich and varied experiences as expert dance performers; although they may have little pedagogical knowledge and experience. Thirdly, there is not a unified theoretical consensus on how to analyse the acquisition of pedagogical expertise in dance teachers.The majority of theoretical approaches to dance pedagogy have been based on traditional information processing theory and within the theoretical framework of cognitive psychology. This latter approach can be viewed as limited because of its exclusive focus on the individual and neglect of important ecology influencing an individual's behaviour. Some promising research in the dance and sport literature has theorised individuals as dynamical systems performing in their ecologies. The ecological dynamics theoretical approach is multidisciplinary in nature and allows theorisation of a range of factors in human performance systems, such as those found in dance. Within this approach, the constraints-led theoretical framework allows analysis of environmental, task, and individual factors. Given the lack of prior research in the field and the variety of dance experience to be studied, it was concluded that combining the constraints-led theoretical framework with a qualitative approach would be appropriate to undertake a retrospective investigation of the potential constraints influencing the acquisition of pedagogical expertise. The following research questions (RQs) guided the general enquiry. This research project included an initial data-driven thematic analysis followed by a theory-driven thematic analysis. In other words, both inductive and deductive thematic analyses were conducted and, after extensive analysis and refinement, the interpretation of rich data concerning participants' life experiences, allowed for the identification of five major themes that influenced their acquisition of pedagogical expertise. These themes were then mapped into the constraints-led theoretical framework as environmental constraints (mentors, role models, and students); task constraints (rules); and individual constraints (needs). These environmental constraints were then explored with reference to previous research related to each specific theme (i.e., mentors, role models, students, rules, and needs) as well as with reference to empirical research and the theoretical principles of the constraints-led theoretical framework.The results of this research study provide theoretical as well as potential practical contributions to the fields of e...

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The Agent-Environment Interface: Simon's Indirect or Gibson's Direct Coupling?

Cited by 65 publications

References 37 publications

Ecological cognition: expert decision-making behaviour in sport

Ecological cognition: expert decision-making behaviour in sport

What Variability tells us about motor expertise: measurements and perspectives from a complex system approach

The acquisition of pedagogical expertise in dance : a constraints-led approach

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