 |
| Research article summary (published 30 May 2002): |
Enhancing the learning of sport skills through external-focus feedback.
Full Abstract
The authors examined how the effectiveness of feedback for the learning of complex motor skills is affected by the focus of attention it induces. The feedback referred specifically either to body movements (internal focus) or to movement effects (external focus). In Experiment 1, groups of novices and advanced volleyball players (N = 48) practiced "tennis" serves under internal-focus or external-focus feedback conditions in a 2 (expertise) x 2 (feedback type) design. Type of feedback did not differentially affect movement quality, but external-focus feedback resulted in greater accuracy of the serves than internal-focus feedback during both practice and retention, independent of the level of expertise. In Experiment 2, the effects of relative feedback frequency as a function of attentional focus were examined. A 2 (feedback frequency: 100% vs. 33%) x 2 (feedback type) design was used. Experienced soccer players (N = 52) were required to shoot lofted passes at a target. External-focus feedback resulted in greater accuracy than internal-focus feedback did. In addition, reduced feedback frequency was beneficial under internal-focus feedback conditions, whereas 100% and 33% feedback were equally effective under external-focus conditions. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of effect-related, as opposed to movement-related, feedback and also suggest that there is a need to revise current views regarding the role of feedback for motor learning.
Author information
Author/s: Wulf, Gabriele (G); McConnel, Nathan (N); Gärtner, Matthias (M); Schwarz, Andreas (A);
Affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-3034, USA. gabriele.wulf(-atsign-)ccmail.nevada.edu
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article
Journal: Journal of motor behavior (J Mot Behav), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2002-Jun; vol 34 (issue 2) : pp 171-82
Dates: Created 2002/06/11; Completed 2002/08/19; Revised 2004/11/17;
PMID: 12057890, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):
Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.
This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.
MeSH headings (categories)
This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.
Related articles
These are the highest related articles currently in the database:
- Separable neural mechanisms contribute to feedback processing in a rule-learning task.
20 Aug 2007 - Divided attention impairs human motor adaptation but not feedback control.
23 Apr 2007 - Auditory feedback does not influence random number generation: Evidence from profoundly deaf adults with cochlear implant. 30 Jul 2007
- Evaluating the negative or valuing the positive? Neural mechanisms supporting feedback-based learning across development. 15 Sep 2008
- Shared internal models for feedforward and feedback control. 13 Oct 2008
- Amygdala tractography predicts functional connectivity and learning during feedback-guided decision-making. 10 Oct 2007
- Performance monitoring in the anterior cingulate is not all error related: expectancy deviation and the representation of action-outcome associations. 29 Nov 2007
- Learning effects on muscle modes and multi-mode postural synergies. 26 Aug 2007
- Stereo vision enhances the learning of a catching skill. 7 May 2007
- Simultaneous sensorimotor adaptation and sequence learning. 19 Nov 2007
Related Article Map
4/23/2007
10/13/2008
Higher Relevance Score (11)
Lower Relevance Score (8)
Legend: - FREE Full text Article. - Abstract only. 
- Title only. More help.
See a large map of 100+ related articles.