Attention and Concentration Flashcards
What are the 3 dimensions of attention?
- Concentration
- Selective Perception
- Mental Time Sharing
Define Concentration
The ability to exert deliberate mental effort on what is most important in a given situation
Define Selective Perception
Ability to zoom in on important stimuli and ignore distracting factors
Define Mental Time Sharing
Ability to perform two or more concurrent activities
What are the principles of concentration according to Moran, 1996?
- Requires Effort
- Can only focus on one thought at a time
- Focused best when concentrating on specific, relevant things under their own control
- Concentration is lost when focusing on irrelevant factors
- Concentration is disrupted by anxiety
What are the 4 parts of concentration?
- Selective Attention (focus on relevant environmental cues)
- Maintained attentional focus over time
- Awareness of situation and performance errors
- Shifting of attentional focus where necessary
What are the two dimensions of attention according to Nideffer?
- Direction of Attention
- Width of Attention
What are the two directions of attention according to Nideffer?
- Internal; attending to ones own thoughts and feelings
- External; attending to environmental stimuli
What are the two main widths of attention according to Nideffer?
- Broad; attending to many cues
- Narrow; attending to one or two cues
What is broad-external attention?
Awareness of everything going on around you
What is broad-internal attention?
Focusing on personal strategy, game plan, analysis
What is narrow-external attention?
Focusing on one or two environmental factors/targets/stimuli
What is narrow-internal attention?
Focus on effort and feeling
What are the two tried methods for assessing concentration?
- Psychometrics
- Psychophysiological
What is the main form of psychometric assessment of attention?
Test of Attention and Interpersonal Style (TAIS)
What is the TAIS?
Six domains - 3 relating to info overload, 3 relating to Nideffer’s attentional styles.
Effective attenders score high on attention and low on overload
What are two forms of psychophysiological measures of attention?
- Electroencephalogram; brain activity measure (EMG)
- Heart Rate measure
What are internal distractors to attention?
- Attending to past events
- Attending to future events
- Emotional factors
- Over-analysis of body mechanics
- Lack of Motivation
- Fatigue
What are external distractors to attention?
- Visual distractions
- Auditory distractions
What are some on-site techniques for improving concentration?
- Simulating competitive environment in practice sessions
- Cue words/self-talk
- Use non-judgemental thinking to reduce anxety and arousal
- Establish routines
- Develop competition plans
- Eye control
- Monitoring oneself
- Overlearning skills
What are some general exercises for improving concentration?
- Learning to shift attention
- Compartmentalising intrusive thoughts
- improving ability to maintain focus
- looking for relevant cues
- rehearsing game concentration
- distraction training
