The effect of task load, information reliability and interdependency on anticipation performance

In sport, coaches often explicitly provide athletes with stable contextual information related to opponent action preferences to enhance anticipation performance. This information can be dependent on, or independent of, dynamic contextual information that only emerges during the sequence of play (e.g. opponent positioning). The interdependency between contextual information sources, and the associated cognitive demands of integrating information sources during anticipation, has not yet been systematically examined. We used a temporal occlusion paradigm to alter the reliability of contextual and kinematic information during the early, mid- and final phases of a two-versus-two soccer anticipation task. A dual-task paradigm was incorporated to investigate the impact of task load on skilled soccer players' ability to integrate information and update their judgements in each phase. Across conditions, participants received no contextual information (control) or stable contextual information (opponent preferences) that was dependent on, or independent of, dynamic contextual information (opponent positioning). As predicted, participants used reliable contextual and kinematic information to enhance anticipation. Further exploratory analysis suggested that increased task load detrimentally affected anticipation accuracy but only when both reliable contextual and kinematic information were available for integration in the final phase. This effect was observed irrespective of whether the stable contextual information was dependent on, or independent of, dynamic contextual information. Findings suggest that updating anticipatory judgements in the final phase of a sequence of play based on the integration of reliable contextual and kinematic information requires cognitive resources.</p

The effects of anxiety and situation-specific context on perceptual–motor skill: a multi-level investigation

We examined the effects of anxiety and situation- specific contextual information on attentional, interpretational, and behavioural processes underpinning perceptual– motor performance as proposed by Nieuwenhuys and Oudejans (2012) using an in situ task. Twelve skilled cricket batsmen played against a skilled spin bowler under conditions manipulated to induce low and high levels of anxiety and the presence of low and high levels of situation-specific context. High anxiety decreased the number of good bat– ball contacts, while high levels of situation-specific context increased the number of times the ball was missed. When under high anxiety, participants employed significantly more fixations of shorter duration to more locations, but the effects of anxiety were restricted to the attentional level only. Situation-specific context affected performance and behavioural measures but not anxiety, cognitive load or perceptual–cognitive processes, suggesting that performance is influenced through different mechanisms from anxiety that are independent of working memory load

A valid and reliable test of technical skill for vision impaired football

The International Paralympic Committee requires international federations to develop and implement sport-specific classification guidelines based on scientific evidence. As a result of these requirements, new evidence-based criteria are required in football for athletes with vision impairment (VI). Performance tests are key to the development of a new classification system. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable test of technical performance for VI football. To assure content and face validity, the Vision Impaired Football Skills (VIFS) test was based on recommendations from experienced players and coaches. To test construct validity, we compared 24 sighted football players that were split into two groups based on highest-level of performance achieved but matched on experience. To test reliability all players completed the VIFS three times on two separate days. Results supported construct validity through detecting significant differences in performance times between the two groups (p = .004, g = 1.28 95% CI = 0.41 - 2.15). The small bias between visits (.54s ± 2.93s; 95% LoA = -5.21– 6.29) and intraclass correlations (.81, 95% CI = .56 - .92) showed between-day agreement and reliability. Within-day reliability was good when participants had completed a familiarisation trial. Results support the suitability for the use of the VIFS test for classification research. Future work should establish feasibility for players with a VI

Testing the validity of a 360-degree soccer video simulation for analysing visual exploratory activity in women’s soccer

360-degree videos presented in head-mounted displays (HMD) offer new potential for aiding our understanding of how female soccer players visually explore their environment. Study aims were twofold: (i) To assess the construct and face validity of a 360° video simulation for capturing visual exploratory activity in women’s soccer and (ii) to understand players’ perceptions of acceptability and tolerability of a 360° video simulation in women’s soccer. Eleven sub-elite female soccer players (M age = 21.7 years, SD = 5.03) and eleven novices (M age = 19.9 years, SD = 2.07) participated in the study. Match footage was recorded using a Go-Pro 360 max camera positioned on top of a stationary tripod at eye height located in six different locations on a soccer pitch. Participants were shown 40 soccer testing videos (twenty 9v9 videos and twenty 7v7 videos) presented in a HMD with the majority of videos terminating with the participant receiving a pass from a teammate. Upon receiving the pass, participants were required to immediately verbalise an action response as to how they would continue play. Participants completed an adapted presence questionnaire and answered open ended questions on their perceptions of the acceptability, physical fidelity and tolerability of the task. No participants reported any feelings of motion sickness from the 360-degree video task and all soccer players reported they would be interested in using the videos for training. Soccer players reported high levels of realism, possibility to examine and self-evaluation of performance. 360-video offers researchers alternative, low cost solutions for visual based soccer tasks

Examining the importance of local and global patterns for familiarity detection in soccer action sequences

Pattern recognition is a defining characteristic of expertise across multiple domains. Given the dynamic interactions at local and global levels, team sports can provide a vehicle for investigating skilled pattern recognition. The aims of this study were to investigate whether global patterns could be recognised on the basis of localised relational information and if relations between certain display features were more important than others for successful pattern recognition. Elite (n = 20), skilled (n = 34), and less-skilled (n = 37) soccer players completed three recognition paradigms of stimuli presented in point-light-stimuli format across three counterbalanced conditions: ‘whole-part’; ‘part-whole’; and ‘whole-whole’. ‘Whole’ clips represented a 11v11 soccer match and ‘part’ clips presented the same passages of play with only two centre forwards or two peripheral players. Elite players recognised significantly more accurately than the skilled and less-skilled groups. Participants were significantly more accurate in the ‘whole-whole’ condition compared to others, and recognised stimuli featuring the two central attacking players significantly more accurately than those featuring peripheral players. Findings provide evidence that elite players can encode localised relations and then extrapolate this information to recognise more global macro patterns

Examining the importance of local and global patterns for familiarity detection in soccer action sequences

Pattern recognition is a defining characteristic of expertise across multiple domains. Given the dynamic interactions at local and global levels, team sports can provide a vehicle for investigating skilled pattern recognition. The aims of this study were to investigate whether global patterns could be recognised on the basis of localised relational information and if relations between certain display features were more important than others for successful pattern recognition. Elite (n = 20), skilled (n = 34), and less-skilled (n = 37) soccer players completed three recognition paradigms of stimuli presented in point-light-stimuli format across three counterbalanced conditions: ‘whole-part’; ‘part-whole’; and ‘whole-whole’. ‘Whole’ clips represented a 11v11 soccer match and ‘part’ clips presented the same passages of play with only two centre forwards or two peripheral players. Elite players recognised significantly more accurately than the skilled and less-skilled groups. Participants were significantly more accurate in the ‘whole-whole’ condition compared to others, and recognised stimuli featuring the two central attacking players significantly more accurately than those featuring peripheral players. Findings provide evidence that elite players can encode localised relations and then extrapolate this information to recognise more global macro patterns

Examining the theory of challenge and threat states in athletes: do predictions extend to academic performance?

Challenge and threat responses have been seen to predict success in meaningful performance environments, however, it is not as clear whether challenge and threat states predict academic outcomes. We tested if predictions from the Theory of Challenge and Threat in Athletes (TCTSA) can be extended to an academic context, by considering antecedents and outcomes of challenge and threat states as well as whether cardiovascular markers predicted academic performance. Thirty-six undergraduate students were asked to give speeches on an academic topic, and their cardiovascular responses, overall annual marks, and marks in a specific presentation assessment were recorded. Challenge and threat indexes failed to predict either of the performance measures. Limited support was found for other hypothesised relationships of the TCTSA, with challenge states predicting greater reinvestment, which was opposite to that hypothesised. Results suggest that predictions of the TCTSA may not be as pertinent in understanding goal pursuit in academic settings

Pattern recognition in soccer: perceptions of skilled players and experienced coaches

The ability to perceive and recognise patterns of play is important for skilled performance in sporting environments with strict spatiotemporal constraints. An extensive body of laboratory-based experimental research has examined pattern recognition, yet there has been a lack of qualitative investigations into pattern recognition underpinning skilled performance. We interviewed six skilled soccer defenders and seven experienced coaches to investigate the perceived importance of pattern recognition to ‘game reading’ in soccer and its development in practice. A two-stage reflexive thematic analysis identified seven higher-order and twenty-two lower-order themes relating to the contribution of pattern recognition to game reading in competition and practice. Participants reported that danger and distances, visual perception, anticipation, experience, opposition team, organisation and communication, and development in practice were deemed fundamental to performance in competition. Participants explained that developing pattern recognition skills in representative practice environments supported transfer of these skills into competition. Defenders and coaches emphasised the importance of distance between player and ball, as well as identifying ‘triggers’ which appear linked to a defender’s experience, positional awareness, and organisational skills. Providing defenders with representative scenarios during practice is recommended to stimulate problem-solving and promote familiarity with an opposition team’s patterns of play to support skilled performance