Whiting’s Model (1969)

Input data from display

The display is the sporting environment from which information is selected

A sporting example: e.g. Tennis match

- The crowd

- The ball / racket

- Other player / umpire, ball boys/girls

- net

- Weather (rain / wind / sun) etc

Whatever is going on in or around the vicinity of the game regardless of its

relevance or importance

Receptor systems

Sense organs, sensory systems and receptors take in the sensory information

from the display

Receptors can be categorised into 3 groups:

1. Exteroceptors

2. Proprioceptors

3. Introceptors

Receive extrinsic information from OUTSIDE of the body, therefore from the DISPLAY

Comes from the 5 senses:

1. Visual (sight)2. Audition (hearing)

3. Touch 4. Smell 5. Taste

Give an example for each from a sporting situation

These are the sensors inside the body, found in The muscles, joints and they provide

intrinsic information regarding the movement occurring

They help to provide a sense of balance – e.g.balance of feet when preparing to receive a serve

in tennis

The sense of kinaesthesis which is the inner feeling of tension within the muscles and jointse.g. kinaesthesis informs us the arm in raised

in the serve without the need to look

Information from the internal organs of the body, heart, lungs, digestive system etc.

The sensory nervous system passes the information to The central mechanism of the brain.

e.g. how fast the heart is beating – this allows the body to register fatigue.

Perceptual MechanismsPerception: make sense of the incoming

information / interpret sensor information

e.g. see that opponent is striking the tennis ball in serve

All the information from the display, picked up by the receptors is held for a fraction of a second in the short-term

sensory store

Before a decision can be made, all the information that has been taken in has to

be filtered or coded

Short-term Sensory Store (STSS)• this is a temporary and brief holding space

• Holds ALL the information from the DISPLAY

• Begins to filter and code the information using SELECTIVE ATTENTIONSelective Attention

• This separates the information into stimulus (important / relevant) and noise (irrelevant)

information

• The stimulus is passed onto the short-term memory

• Noise is disregarded

Translatory Mechanisms

Translation:

• To decide what is happening and what to do about it

• Recognise the input and make a decision on the action to be taken

• Decision making resulting from the short term and long term memory

interacting

Short Term Memory (STM)

The stimulus that has been selected (by selective attention) passes to the short term memory

Selective attention is important since the STM can only process around 7 pieces of information

So the STM has a very limited capacity – information held for about 30 seconds

The short term memory is also known as the ‘working memory’ as it links the short term

sensory store and the long term memory

Long Term Memory (LTM)•Important areas of information are

passed onto the LTM for retrieval and use at a later date

•The LTM is a large storage system (unlimited capacity)

•All the images and pictures of skills and practices have been filed away (like data

files in the computer)

•They are stored in a logical sequences called a ‘motor programmes’

•The STM compares / retrieves information from the LTM to help make

the decision

Effector Mechanisms

Effector Control: putting a motor programme into effect / doing the

movement

The decision for the appropriate action has been made

Impulses are sent via a network of nerves called the ‘effector

mechanisms’ to the working muscles.

Muscular System

On receiving an impulse, the muscles required to perform the movement begin to contract and a response, such as the tennis

return, can take place.Output Data

This is data that is in the display after the action that has taken place

Feedback

Feedback is information acquired during and after the response and is used to aid

movement correction.

Feedback either tells performers what they are

doing wrong or gives reinforcement for correct

actions so that they become habit.