Exam 2: Motor Learning --> Lecture 06 Attention, Arousal, Visual Search

Attentional Capacity

An individual can only pay attention to a limited number of activities

Exceeding Attentional Capacity can inhibit (hurt)

performance

Factors Influencing Attentional Demands

• Environmental complexity

• Task complexity

• Performer’s skill level

• Numbers of cues

As the environmental task increases…

Attentional demands increase

Attentional limitations are exceeded when a performer…

Thinks about too many things while learning a new skill

Attentional Focus

The process of selectively attending to or concentrating on specific environmental information

Attentional Focus: Width

amount of information and size of the perceptual field

• broad (large quantity) to narrow (one or two cues)

Attentional Focus: Direction

internal (thoughts and body movements) to external (environment)

Attentional Styles: Broad External

rapidly assess a situation

Attentional Styles: Narrow-External

focus exclusively on one or two external cues

Attentional Styles: Broad-Internal

used to analyze a plan

Attentional Styles: Narrow-Internal example

used to mentally rehearse an upcoming performance or control emotions

Example of Broad-internal

Point guard getting the play from the sidelines and going over the strategy

Example of Broad external

Surveying the defense to see who’s open, etc.

Example of Narrow external

Quarterback receiving ball from center

Example of Narrow internal

Recognizing anxiety and taking a breath to relax

Attentional Focus and Instruction: What should learners focus on?

• Their own body’s movements (internal attentional focus), OR

• The effects of their movements (external focus)

An __________ focus of attention enhances learning and

performance.

External!

Arousal:

A general physiological and psychological activation of the organism that varies on a continuum from deep sleep to intense excitement

Arousal Differs from ________?; How do they relate?

anxiety; changes in anxiety affect arousal levels

The higher level of arousal, the better the performance

• This is a MYTH. WHY?

BECAUSE higher arousal levels can also have negative affects.

Inverted U principle: optimal level is not?

constant.

• Depends on both task and performer characteristics

Inverted U principle: As task complexity increases…

lower arousal will be optimal

Inverted U principle:Higher levels of arousal are optimal for…

simpler tasks.

Inverted-U Principle

Arousal and Performance is affected by?

• Predictability

  • Success vs. Failure

• Control

• Physical Stress

• Competition

Why Does Arousal Influence Performance? Muscle tension

• interferes with coordination

• lose fluidity in movement

• lose the ‘feel’ because muscles aren’t used to working under higher tension levels

Why Does Arousal Influence Performance? Attentional Changes

• loss of concentration

• Attentional/perceptual narrowing

  • broad vs. narrow

• increased awareness of movement

• resource consumption by task-irrelevant thoughts

Easterbrooks’ Cue-Utilization Theory:

Changes in attentional focus occur according to arousal levels

Easterbrooks’ Cue-Utilization Theory: Low arousal results in

broad attentional focus

• attention is too broad, both relevant and irrelevant cues attended

Easterbrooks’ Cue-Utilization Theory: Optimal level of arousal

Enables the performer to focus on relevant cues while ignoring irrelevant ones

Easterbrooks’ Cue-Utilization Theory: High arousal results in

Perceptual/attentional narrowing

• Could lead to ignoring relevant cues

To increase arousal:

• Increase rhythm/rate of breathing

• Listen to music

• increase physical activity

• Stay motivated

To decrease arousal:

• Encourage slow/controlled breathing

• Contract and relax various muscles

• Replace negative thoughts with constructive ones

• Visualize a positive outcome

• Focus on performance rather than outcome

• Fixation duration:

How long the eyes stay focused on a location.

• Fixation location:

• Where the eyes focus.

• Search rate:

• How quickly visual information is searched.

• Saccade latency:

• The time between a stimulus and the beginning of an eye movement toward it.

Gaze fixation

When gaze lands on objects during active scan

Quiet eye

Final fixation on a specific target or object before initiating a movement

• Expert vs Novice

Targeting skills

Typically involves accurately propelling an object towards a target.

• Fixed target (foul shot), abstract targeting task (putting), moving target task (boxing)

Interceptive skills

Complex in nature, requiring performer to track moving stimulus, determine trajectory and time to contact (tau), and what movements to intercept

Tactical skills

Require quick and accurate situational decisions, selective attention to relevant cues, and pattern recognition

• Expert vs Novice

Pinder et al.

High level of similarity between practice/training and real-life

performance/competition

Magill

• instruction and feedback should direct learners to critical cues

• Situations should contain task-relevant cues

• Should include variability