This article is provided by the research team led by Professor Hung Tsung-min, Chair Professor of the Department of Physical Education and Sports Science.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE：https://pr.ntnu.edu.tw/ntnunews/index.php?mode=data&id=22047 (2023.11.17)
(English Version Powered by ChatGPT, Edited by Serena H.)
The “Meshed Control Theory” of expert motor performance suggests that excellent actions are completed through the collaboration of cognitive control and automated control. However, previous research methods have limited the ability to gain deeper insights into the neural processes of superior performance. To test the impact of automation and cognitive control on athletic performance, this study recruited 12 skilled golfers to perform a putting task with three different attention focus conditions (no focus instructions, external focus, and internal focus), each for 40 trials, totaling 120 putts, while recording their EEG (electroencephalography) data during the movement process.
Results showed that the no-focus condition led to better putting success and accuracy compared to the internal and external focus conditions. EEG results indicated that during the no-focus condition, the golfers’ initial attention process was similar to an external focus but shifted to a more internal attention-like process just before the putting action. This suggests that golfers transitioned from an automated process to a cognitive control process as they prepared for the putt. These findings provide new evidence supporting the Meshed Control Theory and demonstrate the dynamic characteristics of neural motor processes, suggesting that understanding the brain’s neural mechanisms underlying excellent performance can help athletes achieve superior results.
Attention is a key factor for excellent performance in sports, and it can be divided into internal and external focus. Internal focus refers to focusing on specific bodily movements, while external focus refers to paying attention to how the body’s movements affect the environment. Previous studies have shown that external focus can facilitate the automatic process and improve movement efficiency. However, some scholars argue that focusing on internal bodily sensations may not necessarily disrupt the automatic process. Given that different studies use varying methods for internal focus, leading to diverse results, these previous studies have typically employed a binary focus approach, which may not truly reflect the actual types of attention processes. According to the Meshed Control Theory, experts naturally combine cognitive control and automatic control to achieve excellent performance.
Given the complex and dynamic nature of attention in superior skill performance, it is essential to investigate how attention evolves over time during skill execution. However, previous behavioral studies were limited in providing in-depth information about the neuro-motor process over time. EEG is an effective method for examining the dynamic processes of athletes’ performance.
This study explored the impact of different attention focuses (no-focus instruction, external focus, and internal focus) on motor skill performance in skilled golfers. The results showed that no-focus instructions led to better putting success and accuracy compared to both internal and external focuses. EEG findings revealed that the golfers’ attention initially followed an external focus but shifted to a more internal focus right before executing the putt. This suggests that skilled golfers engage in a self-regulated attention state that integrates both automatic and cognitive control processes. In other words, exceptional performance is not achieved through solely internal or external focus instructions.
The results further showed that external focus led to lower frontal-left temporal (Fz-T7) alpha 2 (10-12 Hz) coherence, indicating a reduction in language processing and greater neuro-motor support for the automatic process.
These findings provide new evidence supporting the Meshed Control Theory and emphasize the dynamic characteristics of neuromotor processes. Understanding the neural features of excellent performance can aid athletes in achieving superior outcomes.
Original Source: Wang, K. P., Frank, C., Tsai, Y. Y., Lin, K. H., Chen, T. T., Cheng, M. Y., Huang, C. J., Hung, T. M., & Schack, T. (2021). Superior Performance in Skilled Golfers Characterized by Dynamic Neuromotor Processes Related to Attentional Focus. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 633228. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633228
Source of Article: Research and Development Department Research Highlights
Original Link: Research Article
Authors:
- Wang Kuo-bin, Postdoctoral Researcher | Bielefeld University, Department of Psychology and Sports Science
- Hung Tsung-min, Research Chair Professor | Department of Physical Education and Sports Science, National Taiwan Normal University