Attentional control

Question 1

Explain the Cue utilisation hypothesis…

Answer 1

• links a performers ability to sustain focus on the correct cues with the levels of anxiety they experience
• with low arousal, they have a broad range of cues and isn’t stimulated to focus on the relevant cues
• High levels of arousal, they take in a small number of cues and panic, not taking in the correct cues –> reducing performance
• Moderate levels of arousal, they are about to filter out the irrelevant cues and just take in the relevant cues, completing the task to the highest potential and supports the inverted U theory

Question 2

What are Nideffer’s dimensions of focus?

Answer 2

1) Broad-narrow = the number of cues being focused on (broad is many and narrow is little)
2) Internal-external = the location of the focus (internal is thoughts and feelings of the performer and external is the environmental cues

Question 3

What are the 4 attentional styles?

Answer 3

1) Broad-internal eg footballer planning strategies
2) Broad external eg centre pass in netball, many options
3) Narrow-internal eg mental rehearsal for a swimmer
4) Narrow-external eg basketballer focused on the net in a free throw