The effect of attentional focus in balancing tasks: A systematic review with meta-analysis

Abstract

Purpose: The present study was to use the aggregate data meta-analytic approach to examine the effects of attentional focus during balancing tasks in motor learning. Method: A literature search was conducted based on five electronic database searches, cross-referencing and expert review. Studies included randomized trials of external (EF) versus internal focus (IF). Risk of bias was assessed using a self-developed instrument. Random effects models using the standardized mean difference effect size (ES) were used to pooled results. Heterogeneity was examined using the Q statistic and inconsistency using I 2 . Results: Of 790 studies screened, 16 representing 541 males and females and up to 17 ES met the inclusion criteria. Analyses indicated that the EF groups outperformed the IF groups for acquisition phase (ES= 0.48, n= 16; CI95%= 0.07 to 0.90, Q= 68.7, I 2 = 78.2%), retention (ES= 0.44, n= 17, CI95%= 0.14 to 0.74; Q= 26.1, I 2 = 38.6%), and transfer (ES= 1.41, n= 4, CI95%= 1.00 to 1.82, Q= 22, I 2 = 0%). Conclusion: The overall results suggest that EF results in better balance learning when compared to IF.

Dart Throwing with the Open and Closed Eyes: Kinematic Analysis

“…Another factor that influenced the dart throwing performance is an attentional focus. External focus of attention, which is defined as concentration on movement effects such as bull's eye on the target, provides more accurate performance of the action with smaller levels of muscle tension in various tasks, such as keeping the balance [18], long jumps [19], and darts throwing [12]. Internal focus of attention that is introduced as concentration on body movements, such as focusing on muscle tension and dynamics of the effector movement, causes a higher tension of the antagonist muscles and a decrease in the motion variability [20, 21], which leads to a decrease in the accuracy of the action [22].…”

Relación entre capacidad aeróbica y el nivel de atención en escolares de primaria (Relationship between aerobic capacity and level of attention in primary school children)

“…La atención se define como la capacidad de seleccionar los estímulos que son relevantes para un individuo en una situación concreta (Posner & Petersen, 1990), en interacción con los sistemas cognitivos, socioemocional y motivacional (Chang & Burns, 2005). Algunas de sus funciones son mantener el estado de alerta, el equilibrio, la concentración, la orientación y la función ejecutiva, siendo estos procesos funda-mentales en el desarrollo madurativo de los niños permitiéndoles controlar sus emociones y pensamientos (de la Vega Marcos, Román, Ruiz, Aguado-Gómez, Hernández & Sanz, 2015;Gerard, Salicetti, Moncada & Solano, 2018;Kim, Jiménez-Díaz & Chen, 2017;Posner, Rothbart, Sheese & Voelker, 2014).…”

Attention in physical education classes: Differences between colletive sports (Atención en las clases de educación física: diferencias entre deportes colectivos)

“…In order to combat this attentional lapse, teachers must try other strategies to expose the information and «guide» students' attention, as stated in Ladewig (2017) and Grube, Ryan, Lowell, and Stringer (2018). In addition, the feedback given by the teacher are equally important for better learning, so researchers like Wulf, Chiviacowsky, Schiller and Avila (2010), Wulf (2013), Kim, Jimenez-Diaz, and Chen (2017) and Tsetseli , Zetou, Vernadakis and Mountaki (2018), concluded that the feedbacks directed to an external focus show more benefits and development in completing the task or exercise, than the internally focused group.…”

“…In the specific case of attention, it's considered as an important mediating variable in the teaching/learning process, and therefore this variable has been studied by several researchers (Santos, Petrica, Serrano & Mesquita, 2014;Emad, Neumann & Abel, 2017;Kim, Jimenez-Diaz, & Chen, 2017;Navarro-Patón, Lake-Ballesteros, Basanta-Camino, & Arufe-Giraldez, 2018 ;Tsetseli, Zetou, Vernadakis, & Mountaki, 2018;. Petrica and Tavares (1999) studied students' attention of the 2nd cycle in physical education classes, using an observational method in which the results show that students are aware of the task and the instructions given by the teacher.…”