C.2.2.1 Effective skill execution requires appropriate attentional focus Notes

The Proficient Execution of Specific Skills Requires the Correct Attentional Focus

What is Attentional Focus?

Types of Attentional Focus

1. Attentional focus varies based on two dimensions: width (broad or narrow) and direction (external or internal).
   1. Broad attentional focus:
      1. Ability to perceive multiple events simultaneously.
      2. Example: Ice hockey player monitoring puck position, opponents, and shooting opportunities.
   2. Narrow attentional focus:
      1. Focus on one or two specific cues.
      2. Example: Tracking the shuttlecock in badminton.
   3. External attentional focus:
      1. Attention directed toward external factors.
      2. Example: Observing an opponent's movements in baseball.
   4. Internal attentional focus:
      1. Attention focused internally on thoughts or feelings.
      2. Example: A high jumper mentally preparing for their jump.

Attentional Focus and Motor Learning

1. Attentional Focus Types:
   1. Associative: Attention directed internally toward bodily sensations (e.g., monitoring muscle fatigue).
   2. Dissociative: Attention directed externally, away from bodily sensations, focusing instead on the external outcome of movements.
2. Dimensions of Attentional Focus:
   1. Width: Broad (many cues simultaneously) vs. Narrow (few or single cues).
   2. Direction: Internal (focus on body or thoughts) vs. External (focus on movement effects or outcomes).
3. Impact on Motor Performance:
   1. Effectiveness: Improved accuracy, consistency, and reliability of motor skills.
   2. Efficiency: Movement performed fluently and economically, requiring minimal physical and mental effort.

There are three cognitive dimensions:

1. Concentration: Actively investing mental effort into crucial aspects of performance (e.g., focusing on ball contact rather than crowd distractions).
2. Selective Attention: Ability to filter out distractions and focus specifically on task-relevant information (e.g., tracking the ball’s trajectory despite goalkeeper movements).
3. Divided Attention: Capacity developed through practice to simultaneously manage multiple tasks or actions (e.g., passing the ball accurately while looking in another direction).

Situation Awareness

1. Athletes with strong situation awareness:
   1. Often praised for superior decision-making and timing.
   2. Demonstrate attentional flexibility, shifting focus dynamically between broad (external and internal) and narrow attentional states as required by the circumstances.

Controlled Distraction: A Key Strategy

1. Controlled distraction involves deliberately managing distractions to maintain focus.
2. Athletes use techniques like:
   1. Routines: Pre-shot routines in golf or free-throw rituals in basketball.
   2. Trigger Words: Simple cues like focus or breath to redirect attention.
   3. Mental Practice: Visualizing successful performance to build confidence and reduce anxiety.
   4. Performance Goals: Clear behavioural outcomes guiding focus toward specific, relevant, and controllable actions.
   5. Deliberate Decisions: Consciously investing mental effort to focus on important task-related information.

Attentional Narrowing and Arousal

1. Attentional narrowing occurs when high arousal levels cause focus to shrink to a few critical cues. This can be beneficial or detrimental:
   1. Beneficial: A sprinter focusing solely on the starting gun.
   2. Detrimental: A soccer player fixating on a mistake and missing broader game dynamics.

Practical Applications in Sport

1. Basketball Free Throw
   1. Focus: Narrow-external (rim of the basket).
   2. Distractions: Crowd noise (external), fear of missing (internal).
   3. Technique: Use a pre-shot routine and positive self-talk (Follow-through).
2. Soccer Penalty Kick
   1. Focus: Narrow-external (target spot in the goal).
   2. Distractions: Opponent's movements (external), overthinking technique (internal).
   3. Technique: Visualize the shot and use a trigger word like strike

Attention

1. Attention refers to an athlete's ability to concentrate on relevant information while ignoring distractions.
2. It is essential for skill execution and performance consistency.
3. Types of Attention:
   1. Selective Attention: Focusing on important cues while ignoring irrelevant ones (e.g., a basketball player focusing on an opponent’s movement rather than crowd noise).
   2. Divided Attention: Handling multiple tasks at once (e.g., a soccer player scanning the field while dribbling).
   3. Sustained Attention: Maintaining focus over an extended period (e.g., a marathon runner maintaining concentration throughout the race).

Strategies to Improve Attention

1. Practicing under game-like conditions to train focus.
2. Using cue words or mental triggers to stay engaged.
3. Developing pre-performance routines to enhance consistency.

Focus

1. Focus refers to the ability to direct attention to the most important task at a given moment. It is influenced by internal and external distractions.
   1. Internal Distractors:
      1. Mental distractions (e.g., daydreaming, worrying about others' opinions).
      2. Emotional distractions (e.g., anger, anxiety).
      3. Physical sensations (e.g., fatigue, pain).
   2. External Distractors:
      1. Auditory distractions (e.g., spectator noise).
      2. Visual distractions (e.g., flash photography, movements in the crowd).

Types of Focus

1. Broad Focus: Paying attention to multiple cues (e.g., a quarterback reading the entire field).
2. Narrow Focus: Concentrating on a single aspect (e.g., a golfer focusing on their putt).
3. Internal Focus: Focusing on body movements (e.g., a gymnast concentrating on their form).
4. External Focus: Focusing on the outcome of an action (e.g., a sprinter looking at the finish line).

Techniques to Enhance Focus

1. Visualization to mentally rehearse key actions.
2. Mindfulness and meditation to control thoughts.
3. Managing distractions by training in unpredictable environments.
   

Arousal

1. Arousal is the level of physiological and psychological activation in response to competition. It ranges from low (relaxed state) to high (intense excitement or stress).

Theories of Arousal and Performance

1. Inverted-U Theory: Performance improves with arousal up to an optimal point, but excessive arousal leads to a decline.
2. Catastrophe Theory: If arousal becomes too high, performance can suddenly drop due to loss of control.
3. Drive Theory: Higher arousal enhances performance for well-learned skills but may hinder beginners.

Regulating Arousal for Performance

1. Increasing Arousal: High-energy music, motivational self-talk, and physical warm-ups.
2. Decreasing Arousal: Deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and calming visualization.