Lec 5 - Attention, Performance, And Decision Making Under Stress Flashcards
What is the psychological refractory period (PRP)?
PRP is the delay in responding to a second stimulus when it closely follows a first stimulus. The brain can only program one voluntary action at a time.
How do “fakes” in sports exploit the PRP?
Fakes work by causing the opponent to react to the first movement (stimulus), delaying their response to the second movement due to PRP.
What is the double-stimulation paradigm?
A research method where participants respond to two closely timed stimuli to measure the delay in reaction to the second stimulus, demonstrating PRP.
What is the probe-task technique?
A method that measures reaction time to a secondary stimulus while performing a primary task, revealing the attentional demands of the primary task.
What is the Inverted-U Principle?
It suggests that performance peaks at moderate arousal levels, with performance declining at both low and high arousal levels.
How does arousal differ from anxiety?
Arousal is the physiological activation of the central nervous system, while anxiety is a negative emotional state related to future uncertainties.
What is perceptual narrowing, and how does it affect performance?
Perceptual narrowing is the focusing of attention on fewer cues as arousal increases, which can help prioritize relevant information but may cause important cues to be missed.
What is “choking under pressure”?
Choking occurs when a shift from automatic to controlled processing disrupts well-learned routines, leading to performance decline under pressure.
How do individual differences affect the Inverted-U Principle?
Factors like experience, task difficulty, and personal anxiety levels shift the optimal arousal point for peak performance.
Why is external focus of attention better for skilled performance in open environments?
External focus allows for efficient, automatic processing, which is beneficial in dynamic environments requiring adaptability.
