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Sports Psychology > Week 4 - Concentration & Flow > Flashcards

Week 4 - Concentration & Flow Flashcards

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1
Q

Define attention

(Focusing more on selective attention)

A

Mind takes possession, in clear + vivid form, of 1 of several simultaneously possible objects or trains of thought.

Withdrawal from some things are necessary in order to deal effectively w/ others.

  • William James (1890).
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2
Q

Define attention

(More contemporary view)

A

Moran 2013

Refers to a persons ability to exert deliberate mental effort on what is most important in any given situation.

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3
Q

What 4 parts does the definition of conc. in sport typically contain?

A

Selective attention

Maintaining that attentional focus over time

Having awareness of the situation + perf. Errors

Shifting attentional focus when necessary

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4
Q

Define concentration

A

Ability to maintain focus on relevant environmental cues.

When env. changes quickly, attentional focus must also change rapidly.

Thinking of the past or the future raises irrelevant cues that often lead to perf. errors.

Learning + practise can help build SA as perf. won’t have to attend to all aspects of skill due to some becoming AUTOMATED VIA EXTENDED PRACTISE.

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5
Q

Study by Bell + Hardy (2009)

A

Provides info about what to focus on.

  • Found that an external focus was better than an internal focus.

However a distal external focus produced better perf. than a proximal external focus.

i.e research found that a golfer should focus more on the flight of the ball (distal external) than on the club face (proximal external) - Kearney, 2015.

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6
Q

Extensive review by Wulf (2013) of the literature

What did it highlight?

A

Importance of focusing externally instead of internally

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7
Q

Extensive review by Wulf (2013) of the literature

What did it find?

A

External focus = more beneficial to perf. in a variety of tasks, i.e those that focus on balance, accuracy, speed + endurance.

An external focus results in ⬆️ in perf. outcomes, movement efficiency + movement kinematics.

Coaches should teach athletes skills for focusing externally as the effectiveness of an external focus generalises across many situations + skill levels.

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8
Q

What is the median length of time during which thought content remains on target?

A

Approx. 5 secs

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9
Q

Define situation awareness

A

Athlete’s ability to understand what’s going on around them

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10
Q

Whats meant by the term shifting attentional focus

A

Ability to alter the scope + focus of attention as demanded by the situation

i.e from broad external focus to broad internal focus.

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11
Q

Give an example of a golfer shifting attentional focus

A
  1. Broad-external focus — Direction of wind, positioning of trees…
  2. Broad-internal focus — Recall exp. w/ similar shots + analyse info gathered to select a particular club + determine how to hit the ball.
  3. Narrow-internal focus — Monitor tension, image a perfect shot, take a deep breath…
  4. Narrow-external focus — Addressing the ball, focus entirely on ball.
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12
Q

Why do golfers have ample time to shift attentional focus?

A

Self-paces

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13
Q

What approach have major theories attempting to explain the role of attention in perf. used?

A

Information processing approach

Early approaches favoured a single-channel (fixed cap.) or a variable (flexible) approach.

Current thinking = multiple pools theory approach.

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14
Q

What does the multiple pools theory approach view attention like?

A

Multiprocessors w/ each processor having its own unique relationship w. the perf.

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15
Q

What are the 3 processes used to explain attentional focus?

A

Attentional selectivity

Attentional capacity

Attentional alertness

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16
Q

ATTENTIONAL SELECTIVITY

Define selective attention

A

Allowing some info into the info-processing system while screening out or ignoring other info.

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17
Q

ATTENTIONAL SELECTIVITY

What did Perry (2005) propose was a useful metaphor for understanding selective attention

A

That a person uses a “spotlight” to focus on only what’s important.

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18
Q

ATTENTIONAL SELECTIVITY

What did a review by Memmert (2009) find?

A

Found that its not how long athletes focus but rather WHAT they focus on that helps prod. top perf.

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19
Q

ATTENTIONAL SELECTIVITY

What 3 errors are made when selective attention is focused inappropriately

A
  1. Failure to focus all attention on relevant elements of task. i.e beam being too broad.
  2. Distracted from relevant info by irrelevant info i.e searchlight pointing in wrong direction.
  3. Inability to divide attention among all relevant cues that need to be processed concurrently i.e beam too narrow or person unable to shift it rapidly enough from 1 spot to the next.
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20
Q

ATTENTIONAL CAPACITY

How are athletes able to pay attention to many things when perf?

A

Due to their ability to change from controlled processing to automatic processing as they become more proficient.

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21
Q

Define controlled processing

A

Mental processing involving conscious attention + awareness of what you’re doing when you perform a sport skill.

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22
Q

Define automatic processing

A

Mental processing w.out conscious attention

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23
Q

ATTENTIONAL CAPACITY

What did research on ego-depletion + attentional cap. highlight?

A

That we only process a limited amount of info at a given time.

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24
Q

Define ego-depletion

A

Focusing on another task depletes attention capacity

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25
Q

ATTENTIONAL CAPACITY

What did research reveal about having to perform a secondary task first?

A

Perform poorer on perceptual-motor tasks when under pressure + display shorter eye fixation times.

Their attentional cap. was ego-depleted by having to perf. the cog. secondary task before the primary one.

Found that an autonomy-supportive cond. protected vs. the deleterious effects of ego-depletion compared to a controlling cond.

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26
Q

ATTENTIONAL ALERTNESS

Explain

A

Idea that ⬆️ in emotional arousal = narrows attentional field

== Due to systematic red. in range of cues that a perf. considers in executing a skill.

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27
Q

ATTENTIONAL ALERTNESS

What have numerous studies indicated?

A

In stressful situations = perf. on a central visual task ⬇️ the ability to respond to peripheral stimuli.

Arousal can cause sensitivity loss to cues that are in the peripheral visual field.

i.e A point guard in basketball can miss some important cues in the periphery (players on her team) if she’s overaroused + starts to narrow her attentional focus + field.

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28
Q

IDENTIFYING TYPES OF ATTENTIONAL FOCUS

What were the 2 dimensions of how attentional focus was viewed?

A

Nideffer + Colleagues

Width (broad or narrow)

Direction (External or internal)

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29
Q

IDENTIFYING TYPES OF ATTENTIONAL FOCUS

Define broad attentional focus

A

Allows person to perceive several occurrences simultaneously.

Important in sports in which athletes need to be aware of + sensitive to a rapidly changing env.

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30
Q

Give an example of broad attentional focus

A

Soccer player dribbling the ball upfield

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31
Q

IDENTIFYING TYPES OF ATTENTIONAL FOCUS

Define narrow attentional focus

A

Respond only to 1 or 2 cues

32
Q

Give an example of narrow attentional focus

A

When baseball batter prepares to swing at a pitch

33
Q

IDENTIFYING TYPES OF ATTENTIONAL FOCUS

Define external attentional focus

A

Directs attention OUTWARD to an object

34
Q

Give an example of external attentional focus

A

Opponents movement in tennis

35
Q

IDENTIFYING TYPES OF ATTENTIONAL FOCUS

Define internal attentional focus

A

Directed INWARD to thoughts + feelings

36
Q

Give an example of internal attentional focus

A

High jumper preparing to start run-up

37
Q

RECOGNISING ATTENTIONAL PROBLEMS

List the possible internal distracters

A

Attending to future + past events

Choking under pressure

Fatigue

Inadequate motivation

38
Q

RECOGNISING ATTENTIONAL PROBLEMS

When can attending to past events occur the most?

A

ind sports as they provide opportunities for rueful reflections about past mistakes + errors.

39
Q

RECOGNISING ATTENTIONAL PROBLEMS

Attending to future events

A

I.e “what if” qs:

What is I lose the game? What If I make another error?

This -ively affects conc. = make mistakes = ⬇️ perf.

40
Q

Define choking

A

Process that leads to impaired perf.

Usually occurs in a situation of emotional importance to the athlete.

41
Q

RECOGNISING ATTENTIONAL PROBLEMS

Issue of choking at the attentional level

A

Instead of focusing externally on the relevant cues in the env. the perf. focuses on their worries + fears of losing = narrow + internal.

⬆️ pressure = ⬇️ flexibility to shift attentional focus = impaired timing, coordination, fatigue + muscle tension soon follow.

42
Q

What are the cond. leading to choking

A

Important comp

Critical plays in comp

Evaluation by others

43
Q

What are the physical changes to choking

A

⬆️ muscle tension

⬆️ breathing rate

⬆️ HR

44
Q

How can choking cause performance impairment

A

Timing + coordination breakdown

Muscle tightness + fatigue

Rushing

Inability to attend to task-relevant cues

45
Q

What are the attentional changes to choking

A

Internal focus

Narrow focus

⬇️ flexibility

46
Q

Define QE period

A

ime of the final fixation on the target before the initiation of the movement. A time where task-relevant cues are processes + motor plans are developed.

So, a longer duration minimises distractions + allows focusing on relevant cues.

47
Q

What did an extensive review of the QE literature find?

A

(LeBeau et al. 2016)

  • Longer periods of QE are related to ⬆️ perf.
  • Experts had longer QE periods than novices.
  • Interventions to improve QE not only ⬆️ QE time but sig. improved perf.

So, if anxiety ⬇️ duration of QE then training for longer QE periods might ⬇️ the probability of an athlete choking under pressure.

48
Q

RECOGNISING ATTENTIONAL PROBLEMS

What are the external distracters

A

Visual

Auditoy

49
Q

SELF-TALK TO ENHANCE CONC.

What are the 3 types of self talk?

A

Positive

Instructional

Negative

50
Q

+ive self-talk

A

Focuses on ⬆️ energy, effort + +ive attitude but doesn’t carry a specific task-related cue.

51
Q

Instructional self-talk

A

Helps ind. focus on technical or task-related aspects of perf. In order to improve execution.

52
Q

-ive self talk

A

Critical + self-demeaning. Gets in the way of a person reaching their goals + is counterproductive + anxiety producing.

53
Q

Study relating to self-talk

A

Study by Hardy, Roberts + Hardy (2009) found that athletes using a logbook to monitor self-talk became more aware of the content of their -ive self talk as well as the consq. of using -ive self talk.

54
Q

Techniques for improving self-talk

A

Mikes (1987) suggested 6 rules for self-talk:

  1. Short + specific
  2. Use 1st person + present tense
  3. Construct +ive phrases
  4. Say phrases w/ meaning + attention
  5. Speak kindly to yourself
  6. Repeat often

+

Thought stopping
Changing -ive self-talk to +ive

55
Q

TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING SELF TALK

What is meant by the term thought stopping

A

Ind. conc. on undesired thought briefly + then using a cue or trigger to stop the thought + clear your mind.

The trigger can be a simple word like stop or an action.

56
Q

TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING SELF TALK

Changing -ive self talk to +ive

A

Redirecting attentional focus to provide encouragement + motivation.

57
Q

What are the 4 on-site techniques to improving conc.

A

Simulations in practise

Using cue words

Nonjudgmental thinking

Establish routines

58
Q

IMPROVING CONC.

Explain simulations in practise

A

Prepare yourself to cope w/ distractions + the env. cond. by systematically practising in this situation.

59
Q

IMPROVING CONC.

Explain using cue words

A

Used to trigger a particular response + are a form of self-talk. They can be instructional, motivational or emotional.

60
Q

IMPROVING CONC.

What do cue words need to be

A

simple + let them automatically trigger the desired response. i.e sprinter might say “explode” to make sure he gets out of the starting blocks well.

61
Q

IMPROVING CONC.

When is it important to use cue words

A

In practise so athlete becomes familiar + well learned before using in comp.

Very useful when trying to change a movement pattern i.e golf swing.

62
Q

Define a routine

A

“A seq. of task-relevant thoughts + actions which an athlete engages in systematically prior to their perf. Of a specific sports skill”.

(Moran, 1996).

63
Q

IMPROVING CONC.

Explain establishing routines

A

Routines can focus conc. + can be extremely helpful in mental prep for an upcoming perf.

Researchers have argued that preperformance routines work by helping athletes transfer their attention from task-irrelevant thoughts to task-relevant as well as decrease anxiety.

Routines ⬆️ the likelihood that ind. won’t be distracted internally or externally before + during perf. + often allow perf. To stay automatic w/out the interference of conscious awareness.

64
Q

Searching for relevant cues

A

The grid exercise has been used extensively in Eastern Europe as a precomp screening device.

65
Q

What does the grid exercise involve?

A

Scan the grid w/in a set period of time (1-2mins) + make a slash mark through as many sequential numbers as possible.

66
Q

Define flow

A

State of full involvement + enjoyment in the present activity.

Comes from the tradition of +ive psych. + focuses on human flourishing

67
Q

What is flow experience also known as?

A

The zone

68
Q

Why is flow important

A

Departure from the normal state of muddled thoughts, distraction + poor conc. It’s a rare experience of complete focus.

Relevant for understanding motivation
Enhances wellbeing

69
Q

When does flow happen

A

When there’s:

Challenge/skill balance –> clear goals –> immediate fb (loops in a triangle)

However, in more detail - - there are 9 dimensions

70
Q

What is flow like?

A

Concentration

Action-awareness merging

Transformation of time

Red. self-awareness

Autotelicity

Sense of control

71
Q

How is flow measured

A

Flow state Scale-2

Flow short scale

72
Q

Flow state scale-2

A

Maps onto the 9 dimensions of flow

36 qs

73
Q

Flow short scale

A

Simpler characterisation of flow (fluency + absorption)

9 qs

74
Q

What is flow linked with?

A

Better conc.

More focused eye movements

Attending to the task, NOT self.

75
Q

What is flow -ively related to

A

Inattention in daily activates.

76
Q

What is Flow related to?

A

Reduction in activity in areas of the brain related self-referential thinking. (Medial prefrontal cortex).

Sports Psychology (10 decks)

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