concentration

chapter 17

concentration

mental effort placed on sensory or mental events. The person can exert deliberate mental effort on what is most important in a given situation

attention

the concentration of mental effort on sensory or mental events

4 components of concentration

1. focusing on relevant environment cues (selective attention): selecting what cues to attend & disregard

2. maintaining attentional focus

3. situation awareness: ability to understand whats going on around oneself

4. shifting attentional focus when necessary

benefits of external focus

• benefits performance in a variety of tasks such as focus on balance, accuracy, speed & endurance & max force production

• increases in performance outcomes, movement efficiency, movement kinematics

• generalizes across many situations & skill levels

associative attentional strategy

monitoring bodily functions & feelings

• internal sensory monitoring: muscle soreness, fatigue, breathing

• active self-regulation: technique, strategy, cadence

dissociative attentional strategy

not monitoring bodily functions, distraction & tuning out

• focusing on outside sources

maintaining attentional focus

being able to maintain focus for the duration of the competition/performance is part of concentrating

maintaining situational awareness

the ability that allows players to size up game competitions to make appropriate decisions based on the situation, often under acute pressure & time demands

Expert & Novice differences in attentional processing

• experts attend more to advance information, & can make faster decisions & better anticipate future actions

• experts attend more to the movement patterns of their opponents

• expert players search more systematically for cues

• experts selectively attend to the structure inherent in their particular sport

• expert are more successful in predicting flight pattern of ball

shifting attentional focus

attentional flexibility is know ad the ability to alter the scope & focus of attention as demanded by the situation

information-processing based theories

1. single channel theory

2. variable allocation theory

3. multiple resource pool

single channel theory

information is processed through a single & fixed capacity channel

variable allocation theory

individuals are flexible & can choose where to focus their attention, allocating it on more than one task at a time

multiple resource pool

attention is distributed throughout the nervous system & each microprocessor has its own unique capabilities & resource-performance relationship

3 processes of attentional focus

1. attentional selectivity

2. attentional capacity

3. attentional alertness

attentional selectivity

letting some information into the processing system while other information is screened or ignored

attentional capacity

attention is limited in the amount of information that can be processed at one time

controlled processing

is mental processing that involves conscious attention & awareness of what you are doing when you perform a sport skill

automatic processing

is mental processing without conscious attention

Attentional capacity & Elite athletes

• athletes can change from controlled processing to automatic processing as they become more proficient

• attentional capacity is compromised by having to perform the cognitive secondary task before the primary task

• peak performance when:

  • in the present & no thoughts about past/future

  • mentally relaxed & high degree of concentration & control

  • being in a state of extraordinary awareness of both body & external env.

attentional alertness

increases in emotional arousal narrow the attention field

concentration & optimal performance

• focus only on relevant cues in athletic env. & eliminate distractions

• ability to automatically process/execute movements

4 types of attentional focus

1. broad-external focus: used to rapidly assess a situation

2. broad-internal focus: used to analyze & plan

3. narrow-external focus: used to exclusively on one or 2 external cues

4. narrow-internal focus: used to mentally rehearse an upcoming performance/control an emotional state

Internal distracters

• attending to past events

• attending to future events

• choking under pressure

• over-analysis of body mechanics

• fatigue

• inadequate motivation

choking

attentional process that leads to impaired performance & the ability to retain control over performance without outside assistance

the choking process

conscious processing hypothesis

• choking occurs when skilled performers focus too much of their conscious attention to the task

• performance decreases only wit increased focus on several task-relevant cues

• once skill is learned an overemphasis on body mechanics is detrimental to performance

interventions to help choking under pressure

• imagery builds confidence

• pre-shot routines help keep task-focused & relaxed

• secondary task focus helps focus on one task-relevant cue

• exposure to stressful situations allows athletes to feel more comfortable

Process approach to managing pressure & choking

1. Before competition: MAPP it

   • mental & physical preparation

2. During: ACT on it

   • accept, center, trust

3. after competition: GIRD yourself

   • growth mindset, identity, resolve, defuse

Mindfulness Intervention to help Choking

• awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, & nonjudgmentally to unfolding experience moment by moment

• effective in enhancing concentration, reducing anxiety & improving performance

• can reduce emotional reactions to stress

External distracters

• inadequate motivation

• stimuli from the environment that divert people’s attention from the cues relevant to their performance

• visual distracters (audience)

• auditory distracters

Self talk to enhance concentration

• appropriate self-talk helps one focus on the present & keeps one’s mind from wandering

• uses of self talk

  • motivational

  • initiating action

  • sustaining effort

  • instructional

  • skill acquisition

  • breaking bad habits

types of self talk

• positive

• instructional

• negative

• organic

• strategic

categories of positive self-talk

• psych-up (power)

• confidence

• instruction (focus on technique)

• anxiety control

categories of negative self talk

• worry

• disengagement

• somatic fatigue

6 rules for creating effective self talk

1. keep phrases short & specific

2. use the first person & present tense

3. construct positive phrases

4. say your phrases with meaning & attention

5. speak kindly to yourself

6. repeat phrases often

5 Ps of Self talk

1. Personalized: A person should individually shape the content of self-talk so it has special meaning

2. Practiced: self talk should be practiced before implementing it in competitive situations. Gain familiarity on how & when to use self talk to make it effective

3. Purpose: knowing what needs to be accomplished will facilitate superior interventions & help determine the nature of the statements employed based on the task

4. Positive phrasing: self talk should be positive

5. Position: tailor self talk to the person’s current situation

Rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)

• proposes that individuals’ beliefs about diversity that determine whether their emotional & behavioural reactions are adaptive or maladaptive

• irrational beliefs lead to dysfunctional emotions & maladaptive behaviour

• rational beliefs lead to functional emotions & adaptive behaviours

what is TAIS

Test of Attention & Interpersonal Style

• general traits measure

techniques to improve self talk

• thought stopping

  • identify negative thoughts

  • stop the thoughts

  • focus on task relevant thoughts

• changing negative self talk to positive self talk

• combining self talk with self feedback

On-site techniques to improve concentration

• use stimulations in practice

• use cue words to focus

• employ nonjudgmental thinking

• establish routines (before & during event)

• develop competition plans

• overlearn skills

5 step approach to developing pre-performance routines

1. recording performance on video

2. clarifying behaviour meaning

3. developing focus & function for each behavioural component

4. routine construction & agreement

5. practice