The Quiet Eye and Expertise: Sustained Fixations Do Not Transfer to Unpracticed Throws Among Expert Dart Players

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-279
Author(s):  
Jason Flindall ◽  
Scott Sinnett ◽  
Alan Kingstone
Keyword(s):  
Visual Fixation ◽  
Final Phase ◽  
Expertise Development ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Quiet Eye ◽  
Highly Skilled ◽  
Inhibition Hypothesis

The length of the last visual fixation before the critical final phase of a movement—the quiet eye (QE) fixation—is positively correlated with expertise and success. The present study tested the potential for intraskill transfer of QE durations in order to determine whether it is intrinsically linked to expertise development or is a separable skill that may be employed to improve performance under novel circumstances. The authors tracked highly skilled dart throwers’ gazes while they executed familiar (highly practiced) and familiar yet novel (distance/effector-modified) sport-specific actions. QE duration was significantly reduced when performing in unfamiliar conditions, suggesting that QE does not transfer to atypical conditions and may therefore be a result of—rather than a contributor to—expertise development. These results imply that intraskill transfer of QE is limited and, consistent with the inhibition hypothesis of QE development, argue against the value of teaching QE as an independent means of improving performance.

Sprinting Ability as an Important Indicator of Performance in Elite Long-Distance Runners

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-145
Author(s):  
Ryo Yamanaka ◽  
Hayato Ohnuma ◽  
Ryosuke Ando ◽  
Fumiya Tanji ◽  
Toshiyuki Ohya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Correlation Analysis ◽  
Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Maximal Oxygen Uptake ◽  
Running Economy ◽  
Distance Runners ◽  
Final Phase ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Important Indicator ◽  
Sprint Time

Purpose: Increases in maximal oxygen uptake () and running economy improve performance in long-distance runners. Nevertheless, long-distance runners require sprinting ability to win, especially in the final phase of competitions. The authors determined the relationships between performance and sprinting ability, as well as other abilities in elite long-distance runners. Methods: The subjects were 12 elite long-distance runners. Mean official seasonal best times in 5000-m (5000 m-SB) and 10,000-m (10,000 m-SB) races within 1 year before or after the examination were 13:58.5 (0:18.7) and 28:37.9 (0:25.2) (mean [SD]), respectively. The authors measured 100-m and 400-m sprint times as the index of sprinting ability. They also measured and running economy ( at 300 m·min−1 of running velocity). They used a single correlation analysis to assess relationships between 5000 m-SB or 10,000 m-SB and other elements. Results: There were significant correlations between 5000 m-SB was significantly correlated with 100-m sprint time (13.3 [0.7] s; r = .68, P = .014), 400-m sprint time (56.6 [2.7] s; r = .69, P = .013), and running economy (55.5 [3.9] mL·kg−1·min−1; r = .59, P = .045). There were significant correlations between 10,000 m-SB and 100-m sprint time (r = .72, P = .009) and 400-m sprint time (r = .85, P < .001). However, there was no significant correlation between 5000 m-SB or 10,000 m-SB and (72.0 [3.8] mL·kg−1·min−1). Conclusions: The authors' data suggest that sprinting ability is an important indicator of performance in elite long-distance runners.

Picking an apple from a tree: Response-selection demands, inhibition requirements, and the functionality of the Quiet Eye in a far-aiming task

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1233-1241 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Klostermann
Keyword(s):  
Response Selection ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
High Response ◽  
Fine Tuning ◽  
Movement Preparation ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Quiet Eye ◽  
Inhibition Hypothesis ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Selection Of

In the study of the mutual coupling between perception and action, the performance-enhancing effect of the last fixation before movement initiation, the Quiet Eye (QE), has been repeatedly shown. To the explanation of this phenomenon, among others, an inhibition hypothesis was formulated which suggests that the parametrisation of the optimal task solution is shielded against non-optimal task solutions. In this study, a prediction of this hypothesis was tested by manipulating response-selection demands over movement preparation in a targeting task which required to throw balls as accurate as possible at virtual target discs. Participants in the group with high response-selection demands always had to select one out of four targets, whereas the selection for the participants in the group with low response-selection demands was yoked to the selection of the other group. The results showed the predicted longer QE durations for the high response-selection demands group that, particularly, emanated from earlier QE onsets. Because of similar throwing demands, these differences cannot merely be explained by differences in the fine-tuning of the motor response but provide evidence for the suggested inhibition function. Particularly, with high response-selection demands, the parametrisation of the non-selected targets over movement preparation had to be inhibited. Descriptively, differences in the QE offset suggest that these shielding requirements persisted over movement control. This study extends earlier work on the theoretical foundation of the QE phenomenon and provides fruitful insights into its underlying mechanisms.

scholarly journals Visual gaze behaviour during free-kicks in football

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 653-661
Author(s):  
Sten Schaper ◽  
Lisanne van der Kaaden ◽  
Vosse de Boode ◽  
Geert Savelsbergh
Keyword(s):  
Football Players ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Quiet Eye ◽  
Critical Phase ◽  
Gaze Behaviour ◽  
Run Up ◽  
Visual Gaze ◽  
Insight Into

Visual gaze behaviour, and in particular Quiet Eye (QE), have been found to be important in aiming tasks in multiple sports. The aim of this study is to provide insight into the characteristics of gaze behaviour in a moving condition, that is of football players during the run-up and kick of free kicks. Fourteen skilled youth players performed a set of free-kick trials while their eyes were being tracked. Two QE periods have been determined prior to a critical phase of the kick: QE Target and QE Ball. For the scored trials both the QE Target (M = 886 ms SE = 78 ms) and QE Ball (M = 627 ms SE = 52 ms) duration were significantly longer than in the missed trials, QE Target (M = 488 ms SE = 45 ms) and QE Ball (M = 513 ms SE = 80 ms). The analysis of the number of fixations suggests that one fixation on a target is the optimum, and more (2-3x) or no fixations resulted in less accurate shooting. These results provide insight into the characteristics of football shooting that can be incorporated into shooting practice in order to improve performance.

scholarly journals Visual Fixation in NBA Free-Throws and the Relationship to On-Court Performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. e1-e7
Author(s):  
Daniel Laby
Keyword(s):  
Success Rate ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Visual Fixation ◽  
Basketball Players ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Ocular Fixation ◽  
Professional Basketball ◽  
Quiet Eye ◽  
Performance Statistics ◽  
Court Performance

Purpose Although hitting a baseball is often described as the most difficult task in all of sports, shooting baskets during a game likely ranks a close second. Previous studies have described the role of vision in basketball and more specifically a concept termed the “quiet eye” has been shown to be related to basketball performance. How a shooter visualizes the target, how consistent their visual fixation is, and how long they maintain that fixation has been correlated to shooting success. Although the majority of previous reports have included non-professional basketball shooters, we evaluated NBA (National Basketball Association) players to determine if this skill was significant at the professional level. Materials and Methods We evaluated 16 professional NBA players prior to the 2018-2019 NBA season. All players shot 30 consecutive free-throws while wearing Tobii Pro eye-tracking glasses. Following the completion of the task, several metrics were calculated including shooting success rate, as well as four measures of the position and duration of ocular fixation just prior to, during, and immediately after ball release for each shot of each player. Additionally, player performance statistics from the 2018-2019 season were recorded and compared to the visual fixation data. Descriptive statistics as well as correlations between the visual fixation metrics and on-court performance metrics were calculated. Results NBA shooters averaged a 79% success rate in free throw shooting (SD = 14%, min = 56%, max=100%) during the study. Moderate statistically significant correlations were found between the percentage of successful free throws and the four measures of visual fixation (r=0.539 to 0.687). In addition, visual fixation measures were found to be corelated with on-court metrics suggesting that shooters who had more frequent, as well as longer, fixations on the rim where more likely to have lower USG%, and ORB% as well as higher FG3%. The percentage of successful shots in the study was compared to the on-court FT% and found to be moderately correlated (r=0.536). Conclusions The need to maintain ocular fixation on the rim as one shoots seems elementary, but in fact varies greatly among NBA players, as noted in these results. Our data suggests that players who visually fixate longer and more frequently on the rim are more likely to be successful in free throws, as well as more successful in 3-point goals. Likely due to their likely distance from the basket, they do not make as many offensive rebounds. This data set appears to describe basketball guards in contrast to forwards/centers and supports previous research on non-professional basketball players.

Replication of the Superstition and Performance Study by

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Calin-Jageman ◽  
Tracy L. Caldwell
Keyword(s):  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Significant Heterogeneity ◽  
Performance Study ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
And Performance

A recent series of experiments suggests that fostering superstitions can substantially improve performance on a variety of motor and cognitive tasks ( Damisch, Stoberock, & Mussweiler, 2010 ). We conducted two high-powered and precise replications of one of these experiments, examining if telling participants they had a lucky golf ball could improve their performance on a 10-shot golf task relative to controls. We found that the effect of superstition on performance is elusive: Participants told they had a lucky ball performed almost identically to controls. Our failure to replicate the target study was not due to lack of impact, lack of statistical power, differences in task difficulty, nor differences in participant belief in luck. A meta-analysis indicates significant heterogeneity in the effect of superstition on performance. This could be due to an unknown moderator, but no effect was observed among the studies with the strongest research designs (e.g., high power, a priori sampling plan).

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