attention - concentration in sport Flashcards
(26 cards)
what is attention
taking pocession of the mind.
how many dimensions does attention have?
3 - concentration, slecttive perception and divided attention - mental time sharing.
what is concentration
the ability to focus effectively on the task at hand while ignoring distractions. ability to exert effort and focus on what is important.
selective perception
zoom in on relavent info
task-relavent or not
bottleneck or filter
spotlight metaphor
dvided attention
mental time sharing - perfomring 2 or more tasks equally well. multi taksing. expert have more attention resources.
what is the filter theory
we only have limited capability to process info. we select important info and ignore irrelevant info. “bottleneck” - multiple channels, only one channel is selected for info processing (channel blocking).
what is capacity theory
that we have flexible attention, can multitask. attention is allocated to concurrent tasks depending on various strategic priorities.
in capactiy theory what does automatic attention processing do
‘frees-up’ attentional resources to devote to other tasks.
what is attentional allocation influenced by (capacity theory)
arousal levels, momentary intentions - factros deemed important at the moment in time. and enduring dispositions - factors thgat are alwasy important to us.
what is focused attention
regulated by a central capacity system ‘central executive’ of working memory model.
in the Direction/Width Theory What are the two key dimensions of attention in sport
Direction: Internal vs External
Width: Narrow vs Broad
What are the four attentional styles?
Internal-Narrow
Internal-Broad
External-Narrow
External-Broad
How is attention described in the spotlight metaphor?
Like a beam of light focusing on a specific area — what’s outside the beam is missed.
What can happen when attention is redirected?
It may lock onto irrelevant or distracting information.
What’s a limitation of the spotlight metaphor?
It doesn’t explain how or why attention shifts or is controlled.
What mental strategies help train attention?
Setting performance goals
Using pre-performance routines
Practicing self-talk
Imagery
Mindfulness
Internal vs External Focus
Which type of focus improves skill execution more?
External focus – because it helps automate movements and reduce overthinking.
What does external focus involve?
Directing attention to the effects of movement (e.g., the ball, target), not the body.
What is ironic processing?
Trying not to think about something makes you more likely to think about it (e.g., “don’t miss”).
How does ironic processing relate to choking?
Athletes over-focus, get caught in conscious control, and lose natural flow.
What is in-attentional blindness?
Failing to notice critical cues because focus is too narrow or misdirected.
What is the 1st principle of effective concentration?
Intentional – Concentration is a deliberate choice, not automatic.
What is the 2nd principle?
Focus on one thing at a time – attention has limited capacity.
What is the 3rd principle?
Action = Thought – When thinking and doing are aligned, performance improves (flow state).
