Attention and Concentration

Question 1

Attention

Answer 1

A broad term used to describe our focus

Question 2

What are the 3 dimensions of attention

Answer 2

1. Divided attention
2. Concentration/selective attention
3. Selective perception

Question 3

Concentration

Answer 3

A person’s deliberate decision to invest mental effort on what is most important in any given situation

Question 4

Theories of attention (6)

Answer 4

1. Central resource capacity
2. Multiple resource capacity
3. Divided attention
4. Selective attention
5. Spotlight metaphor
6. 4 types of attention

Question 5

What are the 2 limited attentional capacity theories

Answer 5

1. Central resource capacity theory (Kahneman)
2. Multiple resource theories (Wickens)

Question 6

Central resource capacity theory

Answer 6

Activities can be carried out at the same time, provided that their total effort does not exceed the available capacity

Question 7

What are 3 assumptions of the central resource capacity theory

Answer 7

1. We have a single resource pool from which all attention activities must be funded
2. Several activities can be carried out at the same time, provided that their total effort does not exceed the available capacity
3. As we master skills, they require less attention

Question 8

Multiple resource theory

Answer 8

Argued that people possess multiple resource pool

Question 9

What are the 3 pools of resources that are used for different tasks

Answer 9

1. Memory (LTM + STM)
2. Response output (E.g. speech and movement)
3. Sensory input (E.g. Hearing and Vision)

Question 10

Divided attention theory

Answer 10

Divided attention theory suggests that tasks can be performed well together if they are dissimilar, highly practiced and simple

Question 11

Broadbents Filter theory (Early selection)

Answer 11

Broadbent, posits that stimuli are filtered, or selected to be attended to, at an early stage during processing.

Question 12

Late selection theory (Deutsch & Deutsch)

Answer 12

All stimuli are fully analysed, and selection only takes place for the purpose of the response

Question 13

Selective attention

Answer 13

Selective attention resembles a mental beam that illuminates a part of the visual field and information lying outside the illuminated region is ignored

Question 14

What is selective attention also known as

Answer 14

Spotlight theory

Question 15

What are the 4 types of attentional focus according to Nideffer

Answer 15

1. Internal
2. External
3. Broad
4. Narrow

Question 16

Internal attentional focus

Answer 16

Mental rehearse plans and emotional state

Question 17

External attentional focus

Answer 17

Focus on external cues

Question 18

Broad attentional focus

Answer 18

Used to rapidly assess a situation

Question 19

Narrow attentional focus

Answer 19

Used to focus exclusively on one or two cues

Question 20

What are the 2 types of distractions

Answer 20

1. Internal
2. External

Question 21

Internal distractions

Answer 21

• Living in the past
• Living in the future
• Concentration on technique
• Self-talk
• Fatigue

Question 22

External distractions

Answer 22

• Visual distracters
• Attending to the wrong crowds
• Auditory distracters
• Gamesmanship
• Breaks in play

Question 23

Techniques to enhance concentration

Answer 23

• Practice
• Cue words/Self-talk
• Pre-performance routines
• Stimulation training
• Thought stopping

Question 24

Visual field

Answer 24

Area that the eye can see

Question 25

Foveal vision accounts for what degrees of visual field?

Answer 25

5%

Question 26

Optic nerve

Answer 26

The information provided by the eyes to the CNS is meaningless without the visual cortex

Question 27

Visual cortex

Answer 27

The role is to interpret information derived from the eyes

Question 28

What are the 3 types of eye movements

Answer 28

1. Fixation 2. Saccade 3. Smooth pursuit

Question 29

Fixation

Answer 29

200 - 300 ms duration

Question 30

Saccade

Answer 30

30 - 80 ms duration

Question 31

Smooth pursuit

Question 32

Muscles of the eye

Answer 32

- 6 extraocular muscles that move the eyes gaze - Training can improve speed, co-ordination, and endurance of these extraocular muscles

Question 33

Ciliary muscle

Answer 33

This controls focus between near and far

Question 34

The sphincter and dilator muscles

Answer 34

Muscles in the iris open and close the pupil to allow light into the eye. These are involuntary muscles and therefore cannot be trained

Question 35

Peripheral vision

Answer 35

Your brain uses peripheral vision to help track your own movement and the movement of items around you

Question 36

2 types of visual search

Answer 36

1. Pursuit tracking 2. Fixation and saccadic eye movement

Question 37

Pursuit tracking

Answer 37

Following an object through space

Question 38

Fixation and saccadic eye movement

Answer 38

Quick jump of the eyes from one-point to another

Question 39

Why do elite athletes have better visual search

Answer 39

- Have more consistent and trained visual search strategies - Spend less time fixating on the unimportant cues

Question 40

Quiet Eye

Answer 40

The quiet eye is defined as the final fixation or tracking gaze at a task-relevant location prior to the initiation of the final phase of movement

Question 41

What are the 2 types of visual acuity

Answer 41

1. SVA 2. DVA

Question 42

Static visual acuity

Answer 42

The ability to pick out detail in a stationary object

Question 43

Dynamic visual acuity

Answer 43

The measure of visual acuity, factoring in time and motion 

Question 44

Signal detection theory

Answer 44

The probability of detecting any given stimulus or signal depends on the intensity of the signal compared with the intensity of the background noise

Question 45

What does signal detection depend on

Answer 45

- Target intensity - Background intensity - Sensory acuity - Familiarity with the signal - Arousal

Question 46

Visual training

Answer 46

A collection of techniques employed for the purpose of developing visual functions of athletes

Question 47

Sport vision training examples (8)

Answer 47

1. Increasing peripheral vision 2. Improving contrast sensitivity 3. Improve dynamic acuity 4. Depth perception training 5. Visual reaction time training 6. Smooth pursuit and visual tracking training 7. Visuo-motor integration 8. Utilising eye dominance information