Seminar 5 - Attention, Self-talk, Imagery Flashcards
What are some cognitive models of attention that were proposed?
Single channel ‘FIXED CAPACITY’ or filter theories
FLEXIBLE CAPACITY
MULTIPLE RESOURCE THEORIES
What is the Processing Efficiency Theory (Eysenck & Calvo 1992)?
Seeks to account for the influence of anxiety on performance from a cognitive/motivational perspective.
Processing efficiency - defined as performance effectiveness divided by the processing resources invested in the task
Performance effectiveness - quality of performance in terms of its speed and accuracy
Most applicable to tasks that place high cognitive demands on performers; particularly applicable to complex DM tasks
Emphasises the importance of coping behaviours in potentially aversive settings where evaluation and social comparisons form part of the performance environment.
Processing Efficiency Theory
What are the two main effects of anxiety in the form of worry?
Takes up processing and storage resources in working memory, as well as competes with task-relevant thoughts for available resources.
Serves a strong motivational function; increasing effort for performance to avoid adverse consequences. But when anxiety reaches a significant level, further investments of effort lead to performance declines.
What is concentration?
What can it be easily broken by?
The ability to sustain attention on selected stimuli for a period of time.
Concentration can easily be broken by
• external distractions,
• our own thoughts and feelings,
• planned “psych out” strategies, and
• the intense energy demands of intense concentration.
What are the dimensions of attention?
width of attention (broad or narrow)
- broad focus would attend to a large number of stimuli at the same time (e.g., QB reading a defense or point guard executing a 3 on 2 fast break)
- narrow focus (e.g., golfer lining up a putt)
direction of attention (internal or external)
- internal focus is directed inward on thoughts and feelings (e.g., monitor
your body’s responses and mental skills).
- external focus is directed to events happening in the environment (e.g.,
evaluating playing conditions)
What are 3 factors in the attention-performance relationship?
Selective attention
Attention capacity
Attention alertness
What is selective attention?
• Selective Attention — is the process of attending to some information coming into our senses and ignoring or screening out other information.
• Experts must be able to select the correct cues from countless irrelevant and competing stimuli (e.g., information to focus on when returning serve).
• Spotlight metaphor
What is attention capacity?
• Attention is limited in that one can process only so much information at one time
• Controlled processing is mental processing that involves conscious attention and awareness of what you are doing when you perform a sport skill
• Automatic processing is mental processing without conscious attention
What is attention alertness?
• increases in emotional arousal narrow the attentional field because of a systematic reduction in the range of cues that a performer considers in executing a skill.
• May have links to arousal/performance relationships?
What can lead to attentional problems?
Internal
• Past events
• Future events
• Over-analysing body mechanics
• Fatigue
• Inadequate motivation
External
• Visual distractors
• Auditory distractors
What are some ways to manage attentional problems?
• Simulated practice
• Cue words
• Non-judgmental thinking (mindfulness)
• Establish routines (pre-performance, competition etc etc)
• Overlearn skills
• Shifting attention
• “Parking” thoughts
• Learning to maintain focus
• Searching for relevant cues (concentration grid)
How can performance-related cue words be used?
An archer might keep their attention on their shooting by using the key words, “pull, anchor, hold, and release.”
A diver might use the words “relax, see the platform, sport the water, spot the water, spot the water, kick out, and spot the water again!”
Larry Bird use the cue words “nothing but net” when he shot free throws.
What are some forms of attentional training?
• Concentration Grid
• Focal point
• Counting words in a paragraph
• Counting backwards from 100
• Vigilance Task
What is self-talk defined as? (Hardy, 2006, p. 84)
a) verbalizations or statements addressed to the self;
b) multidimensional in nature;
c) having interpretive elements associated with the content of statements employed;
d) being somewhat dynamic;
e) serving at least two functions; instructional and motivational, for the athlete
What are the different types of self-talk?
Motivational - psych-up, confidence
Instructional - instructions, anxiety control
Negative - worry, disengagement, somatic fatigue
Irrelevant
What affects the effectiveness of self-talk?
• Type of task— gross versus fine motor tasks
• Skill level/learning stage — novice versus expert
• Performance setting — training versus competition
What are the effects of self-talk on performance?
Enhances attentional focus
Improves attentional performance
Mitigates distraction (both internal and external)
Mitigates ego depletion
What are the six rules for creating effective self-Talk? (Weinberg & Gould, 2015)
Keep phrases short and specific.
Use the first person and present tense. (There is new research suggesting that using second person might be more beneficial)
Construct positive phrases.
Say your phrases with meaning and attention.
Speak kindly to yourself.
Repeat phrases often.
What are the techniques for improving self-talk?
Thought stopping
Identify negative thoughts.
Stop the thoughts before they harm performance.
Clear your mind.
Focus on task-relevant thoughts.
Changing negative self-talk to positive self-talk
Negative: “I’ll never make it to the finish”
Positive: “Just take one step at a time” or
“I kept on telling myself that I put in the training and most of all, I paid good money to run this race—I’m going to finish.”
What is cognitive restructuring? (Weinberg & Gould, 2015)
Cognitive restructuring is the attempt to identify irrational or stress inducing self-statements, which are typically related to the fear of failure and disapproval (e.g., “I know I’ll mess up,” “l couldn’t stand to let my teammates and coaches down”).
What are the 7 components of imagery?
SIGHT
Colours, people, objects in your environment
SMELL
Smells in your environment
SOUND
Audience cheering, people talking, music playing
TASTE
Tastes in your environment/ food that you usually eat before competing
TOUCH
Your equipment, objects in your environment
FEELING
Anxiety, optimism, frustration
MOVEMENT
Your usual movements — running, side shuffle, lunging, jumping
Why does imagery work?
Imagery activates certain areas of the brain that are also implicated in motor execution.
Primes movement (shared neural networks).
Good performance recall (emotional and motivational components).
Focal point of attention.
Rehearsed scenarios.
What are the 4 outcomes of imagery according to the Motor Imagery Integrative Model? (Guillot and Collet, 2008)
Motor learning / Performance
Motivation, Confidence, Anxiety management
Strategies & problem solving
Injury Rehabilitation
What are the 2 fundamental characteristics of imagery?
Vividness
How clear your mental images are
Controllability
How much you can control what you imagine
