essay plan for quiet eye

Question 1

paragraph 1?

Answer 1

what is quiet eye and importance of quiet-eye training?

quiet eye refers to the final fixation performed within 3 degrees of the visual angle for longer than 100ms before starting an action - this fixation enables a brief period of coordination between motor and visual circuits, allowing brain to incorporate information from the eye into action - maintaining attentional control and preventing distractibility

measure of top-down visuomotor control using goal-directed eye-movements, suggestion that longer quiet-eye periods enable less intervention from the ventral attention system, which contains distracting thoughts and emotions, and more involvement from the dorsal attention system (Vickers, 2012). therefore limiting internal and external distractibility (especially in times of anxiety as shown by the Attentional Control Theory (Eysenck et al, 2007).

first realised when found that expert basketballers had longer final fixations before shooting, suggesting better coordination of attentional resources and limiting distractibility (Vickers, 1996)

found to be another differentiating factor in perceptual cognitive expertise between experts and non-experts, so important to study

Question 2

paragraph 2?

Answer 2

differences in quiet eye explaining differences in performance between experts and novices

found in a large-scale meta-analysis that exeperts use considerably longer QE periods across sports and tasks and finding that in interventions, there was a large positive effect of QET on performance and on gaze behaviour (LeBeau et al, 2016), indicating that it is a factor differentiating experts and non-experts and that when trained, it can improve performance

this is supported by a finding that quiet eye duration predicted 43% of variance in putting performance (Vine et al, 2011)

also found that golfers with lower handicaps exhibit longer quiet eye periods and characteristics of greater movement preparation, supporting the use to coordinate and focus movement systems (Man et al, 2011)

rifle shooting experts displayed longer quiet eye periods (Janelle et al, 2000)

so the use of quiet eye for prolonged periods of time in experts compared to non-experts is supported in multiple sports, suggesting it is a factor needing to be trained to improve performance

Question 3

paragraph 3?

Answer 3

training increasing quiet eye improves performance in many sports, notably under pressure when it would usually decline

importance under pressure:

• found in high anxiety condition that final visual fixation duration predicted over 63% of performance variation in darts (Nibbeling et al, 2012)

football - given QET and found in non-pressure condition, that QET group better attentional control and 50% fewer shots saved by keeper, however, in pressure condition QET group maintained attentional control but failed to maintain accuracy, thus only providing partial support for brief training intervention (7 weeks) on experienced performer (uni level) (Wood & Wilson, 2011)

golf - QET group maintained longer durations which correpsonded with better performance in pressure and non-pressure conditions, in which QE broke down as did performance for the control condition, also noticed more efficient movement demonstrated through lower muscular activity which was not tasked but happened naturally (implicating automaticity) (Vine & Wilson, 2010)

• used elite players in a natural setting, finding that in practice, maintained optimal QE under pressure and holed more putts and in competition on course, performed 1.9fewer putts per round (importance in anxiety provoking condiiton as real pressure) (Vine et al, 2011)
• dwell important (maintain QE in same location after putt) as finding that better putting when longer duration both before and after putt (Vine et al, 2013)

shotgun - training shooters QE technique, increased onset and duration of QE and translated into better performance in a subsequent competition (Causer et al, 2011)

surgeon - also found that training gaze behaviour through mimicking that of an expert of long duration fixations, lead to faster completion times for a simulated surgery and were better at completing a secondary task, suggesting they had attentional resources to spare as weren’t thinking lots (Wilson et al, 2010)

motor abilities - found poor motor coordination children had much less quiet eye and subsequent poor catching ability, but found when trained, QE duration increased as did catching ability (Wilson et al, 2013)

Question 4

good concluding statement?

Answer 4

quiet eye training can clearly alter gaze behaviour to be more goal-focused, which in turn underpins better, more accurate performance in both novices and experts, in pressure and non-pressure conditions

Question 5

assess support for the use of quiet eye training?

Answer 5

quiet eye is final fixation of 100ms and enables limited contribution from bottom-up, distractible ventral attention system and more influenced by top-down goal-directed dorsal attention system
period of coordination between visual and motor systems whereby the body can receve information from the eyes to convert to an action
limits internal and external distractibility, even in anxiety provoking situations (link to attentional control theory)
found in basketball expert players before a shot had longer durations
important to understand and train as differentiates experts from novices

findings that experts have longer durations than novices in shotgun, golf and meta-analysis of variety of sports and that can account for certain % of final perfomance outcome

importance under pressure: QE duration contributing heavily to final outcome under pressure in darts and under pressure, marked decrease in QE in simulated archery task
use of training to promote quiet eye to control gaze behaviour and improve performance, especially in pressure conditions
golf (novice&experienced in real life), football (partial as experienced), low motor ability children and surgeons