Inside the brain of an elite athlete: The neural processes that support high achievement in sports

Events like the World Championships in athletics and the Olympic Games raise the public profile of competitive sports. They may also leave us wondering what sets the competitors in these events apart from those of us who simply watch. Here we attempt to link neural and cognitive processes that have been found to be important for elite performance with computational and physiological theories inspired by much simpler laboratory tasks. In this way we hope to inspire neuroscientists to consider how their basic research might help to explain sporting skill at the highest levels of performance

Situational and contextual influences on goal orientations

This study used a social cognitive approach to achievement motivation to examine the situational and contextual factors associated with goal perspectives. Two primary questions were asked: ( 1) do involvement and state anxiety vary as a function of the reward structures associated with athletic games and practices? and (2) do goal orientations change over the course of a competitive season as a function of the perceived team motivational climate and coaching behavior? Middle school softball athletes (N=127) were assessed on early- and late-season goal orientations (TEOSQ), pre-game and pre-practice goal involvement (GISQ) and state anxiety (CSAI-2), and motivational climate (PMCSQ-2). The CBAS was used to assess coaching behaviors. A Team X Reward Structure (game-practice) MANOVA used to examine goal involvement and state anxiety. revealed a main effect for reward structure. Wilks' ? =.44. F(4.96)=30.78. p<.0.1. ES=.56. Athletes scored lower on task involvement and higher on state anxiety before games than practices. Two hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between goal orientations and motivational climate. Results revealed that mastery CP=.4 7) and performance CP =.21) climates contributed significantly to the explanation of late-season task scores, R=.57. F(3.101)=16.38, p<.05

The motivational atmosphere in youth sport: coach, parent, and peer influences on motivation in specializing sport participants

This study qualitatively examined the motivationally relevant behaviors of key social agents in specializing sport participants. Seventy-nine participants (9-18 years old) from 26 sports participated in semi-structured focus-groups investigating how coaches, parents, and peers may influence motivation. Using a critical-realist perspective, an inductive content-analysis indicated that specializing athletes perceived a multitude of motivationally-relevant social cues. Coaches’ and parents’ influences were related to their specific roles: instruction/assessment for coaches, support-and-facilitation for parents. Peers influenced motivation through competitive behaviors, collaborative behaviors, evaluative communications, and through their social relationships. The results help to delineate different roles for social agents in influencing athletes' motivation

A Systematic Review of Coach Feedback During Practice and Competition in Team Sports

Coach feedback is acknowledged to have a vital role in athlete learning, while systematic observation is a common tool used in measuring coach behaviour. The purpose of this review was to identify coaches’ use of feedback in developmental and performance contexts. A literature search was conducted using EBSCO HOST and SCOPUS databases. Studies were reviewed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were extracted from 31 studies which met the inclusion criteria. Analysis revealed three themes, 1) evidence base surrounding feedback types observed. 2) variation in observation tool and feedback types observed. 3) quality of coach feedback. The multiple feedback types measured across the studies included suggests there is limited agreement on the types of feedback most important to measure. For the impact of feedback to be better understood, the feedback types captured via systematic observation need revising in line with research that has identified the important characteristics of feedback. A greater evidence-informed approach to the observation of feedback may help to develop a greater critical understanding of the feedback process in learning and performance. Where there were consistencies in feedback type, the quality of the feedback delivered by coaches could be questioned

Training Teachers to Differentiate Instruction to Address Work Completion Problems in Math

This dissertation investigated an adaptation of functional analysis methodology, performance deficit analysis (PDA), and its use in training teachers to differentiate instruction for students having difficulty completing independent math seatwork. Participants included three middle school teachers and one of their students who was referred for having difficulty completing his or her work. Behavioral skills training was used to individually train each teacher to interpret her student’s PDA data, determine if the student had a skill or performance deficit, and select appropriate motivational and instructional strategies to increase the student’s performance. To answer the research questions, a multiple-baseline-design across teachers was used to measure the effects of training on both teacher instructional behavior and student responding during independent seatwork tasks. During baseline and intervention, teachers were observed in their classroom to measure the percentage occurrence of instructional and motivational strategies provided to their target student during independent seatwork time. Instructional strategies were measured as antecedents and consequences. Results of the experimental analysis indicated that teachers immediately increased their use of instructional strategies relative to their baseline levels of responding. A staggered pattern of increases across teachers conformed to design requirements, indicating that experimental control was achieved. However, teachers displayed variability in their use of instructional strategies across the intervention phase and did not consistently implement key reinforcement strategies. Results did not generally confirm significant improvements in student work completion or accuracy. Teachers’ ability to generalize training to a case example was also measured with mixed results. Limitations in terms of teacher training and environmental conditions are examined. Areas for future research are discussed. Advisor: Edward J. Daly III, Ph.D