chapter 10: attention and concentration in...

CHAPTER 10: ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION IN SPORT

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Introduction

Definition

Attention is the focusing of mental processes

Concentration in sport involves:

Focusing on the relevant cues in the environment

Maintaining attentional focus over time

Maintaining situation awareness

Shifting attentional focus when necessary




Types of Attention

Types of attention are:

Sustained attention

Ability to maintain attention to a selected

stimulus for prolonged period of time.

Also called ‘vigilance’




Selective attention

Focusing on a specific aspect of experience that is

relevant while ignoring others that are irrelevant.

Focusing on one voice among many in crowded.

Divided attention

Involves concentrating on more than one activity at the

same time.

If you are listening to music while you are reading this,

you are engaging in divided attention.




The Role of Attention in Performance

Single channel approach (fixed capacity)

Information is process through a single channel

A variable approach (flexible)

Individual can choose where to focus their attention

Allocating to more than one task at a time

Multiple pools theory

Views attention like multiprocessors, with each processor having its own unique capabilities and resource-performer relationship




Three Processes in Attentional Focus

Attentional selectivity

Refers to letting some information into the

information-processing system whereas other

information is screened or ignored




Common errors:

Failure to focus all the attention on the

essential or relevant elements of the task

Being distracted from relevant information by

irrelevant information

Inability to divide attention among all the

relevant cues that need to be processed

concurrently




Attentional capacity

Refers to the fact that attention is limited in the amount of information that can be processed at one time

Controlled processing

Mental processing that involves conscious attention and awareness of what you are doing when you perform a sport skill.

Example: when learning to serve a shuttlecock in badminton, athletes need to think how to grip the racquet, address the shuttlecock, and perform the backswing and downswing.




Automatic processing

Mental processing without conscious attention

Example: a gymnasts become more proficient

at performing their routine on the floor, they

don’t need to attend to all the details of the

jumps, dance moves, and sequences, as these

should be virtually automatic after much

practice




As performers become more proficient and

attentional capacity becomes more automatic,

attention is freed up to focus on different aspects of

the playing situation.




Attentional alertness

Is related to the notion that 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




Types of Attentional Focus

A broad attentional focus

Allows a person to perceive several occurrences

simultaneously

Aware of and sensitive to a rapidly changing

environment

Example: a soccer player dribbling the ball up

field




A narrow attentional focus

Occurs when you respond to only one or two cues

Example: when a baseball batter prepares to swing at a pitch

An external attentional focus

Directs attention outward to an object

Example: To an opponent’s movements, such as in a doubles match in badminton

An internal attentional focus

Directed inward to thoughts and feelings

Example: a bowler readies his approach




Recognizing Attentional Problems

Internal distracters

Attending to past events

Focusing on past events prevents them from focusing on the future

Attending to future events

Future oriented thinking and worry negatively affects concentration

Thinking about the outcome of the event rather than what they need to do now to be successful




Choking under pressure The process that lead to impaired performance

Conditions leading to choking

• Important competition • Critical plays in a competition • Evaluation by coaches, peers, parents

Physical changes

• Increases muscle tension • Increased breathing rate • Racing heart rate

Attentional changes

• Internal focus • Narrow focus • Reduced flexibility

Performance impairment

• Timing and coordination breakdown • Muscle tightness • Rushing • Inability to attend to task-relevant cues




Fatigue

Fatigue reduces the amount of processing

resources available to the athlete to meet the

demands of the situation.

Result in impaired decision making, lack of focus

and intensity, and other mental breakdown.

Inadequate motivation

If an individual is not motivated, it is difficult to

maintain concentration, as the mind is likely to

wander.




External distracters

Visual distracters

These include: spectators, the scoreboard that has

score of other games, and the television camera

crews at courtside.

Auditory distracters

Common auditory distractors include: crowd

noise, announcements on the public address

system, mobile telephones, loud conversations

among spectators




Improving Concentration

Use simulations in practice

Environment and psychological factors

represents potential distractions to the athletes

and may impair performance

Athletes’ can prepare themselves to cope with

these distractions and the environmental

conditions by systematically practicing in this

situation




Use Cue Words

Cue words are used to trigger a particular

response and are really a form of self-talk

Cue words can be instructional (“stretch”, “watch

the ball”) or motivational (“move”, “relax”, “get

tough”)

Keep the cue words simple and let them

automatically trigger the desired response




Use non-judgmental thinking

Instead of judging the worth of a performance

and categorizing it as good or bad, learn to look

at your actions nonjudgmentally

Does not mean to ignore errors or mistakes but

rather that you should see your performance as it

is, without adding judgment




Establish routines

Routines can be used before or during an event

to focus attention, reduce anxiety, eliminate

distractions and enhance confidence

Routine should be built around the enduring

psychological skills that the performer is likely

to employ regardless of the situation




Pre-performance routines structure the athlete’s

thought processes and emotional states, keeping the

focus of attention in the present and on task-related

cues

Develop competition plans

One way that competition plan can be developed is

to use a “what if” approach so that athletes can

prepare a plan for different scenarios that might be

likely or unlikely but yet possible




Athletes design these detailed plans of action to

facilitate attentional focus on the process of

performance

Practice eye control

The key to eye control is to make sure your eyes do

not wander to irrelevant cues

Among ways in which athletes enhance eye control

are focusing on the floor, on the strings of the racket

and etc.




Monitor yourself

Self-monitoring means observing yourself

systematically

Overlearn skills

Overlearning helps make the performance of a skill

automatic

This in turn frees up one’s attention to concentrate

on other aspects of the performance environment




Exercises for Improving Concentration

Distraction Training

Practitioners can systematically alter practice

conditions to allow players the opportunity to

practice with a variety of distractions present

Distractions include:

Trash talking or taunting, physical

intimidation, provocative tactics




External environment conditions (crowd noise,

sun, cold, heat)

Internal distraction (anxiety, regretting mistakes

made, over analysis)

Rehearsing Game Concentration

Using imagery or mental rehearsal

Example: sprinter might see themselves get a great

start off the blocks, hit their stride, and then stay

loose and relaxed in the last 20 yards of the race




Strategies to Get Students To Pay Attention

Encourage attention and minimize distraction

Use cues and gestures for important material

Focus on active learning and be aware of individual

differences

Be interesting

Use media and technology to make learning enjoyable




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