L5 - Concentration

Question 1

What is the definition of concentration (Schmid and Peper, 1998)

Answer 1

“The ability to focus on the task at hand whilst ignoring distractions”

Question 2

What are 4 components of concentration?

Answer 2

• selective attention
• ability to exert deliberate mental effort
• performance of 2 or more concurrent tasks
• vigilance

Question 3

What are two issues with concentration?

Answer 3

Amplification and orientation

Question 4

What are principles of effective concentration?

Answer 4

Concentration requires mental effort -> once can only focus on one thought at a time -> focus on actions that are specific, relevant and under control -> lose concentration when focusing on irrelevant or out of control factors -> anxiety disrupts concentration

Question 5

Why do athletes lose their concentration?

Answer 5

External distractions - ambient noise, gamesmanship, unpredictable weather/surface conditions

Internal distractions - worries, thinking about the future/past and/or irrelevant feelings

Question 6

What is Nideffer (1976) believe we should focus on?

Answer 6

Broad (external = assess) (internal = analyse and plan)

Narrow (external = perform) (internal = rehearse)

Question 7

What did Greenlees et al (2006) find when looking at male football players?

Answer 7

Found no relationship between performance on grid performance and other concentration tasks

Question 8

State some concentration techniques?

Answer 8

• process and performance goals
• pre performance routines
• simulation training
• imagery
• self talk or cue words

Question 9

What is the ‘encoding specificity’ principle of learning?

Answer 9

The recall of information is facilitated by conditions which resemble those in which the original coding occurred

Question 10

What are the implications of training of the encoding specificity principle of learning ??

Answer 10

Simulation training - recreate competitive atmosphere in practice, practice with competition specific distributions

Imagery - preview appropriately staying focused, rehearse refocusing after distraction

Self-talk - stay focused on the most appropriate things, refocus after a distraction

Question 11

Discuss the process of choking under pressure

Answer 11

Conditions leading to choking -> attentional changes

/physical changes -> performance impairment

Question 12

What are the stressors leading to choking?

Answer 12

Event importance, high expectations, evaluation apprehension, unfamiliarity, overload

Question 13

What are the mechanisms of choking?

Answer 13

Distraction, self focus, anxiety, perceived control, inadequate coping, lowered expectations