Motor Behavior

The Effect of Manipulating Attentional Focus on Performance of Top-Spine Strike of Skilled and Novice Table Tennis Players Under High Psychological Pressure

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Amir Dana 1
Sima Eshgarf 2
Sara Bagheri 3

1 Assistant Professor of Motor Behavior, Department of Physical Education, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran

2 M.Sc. of Motor Behavior, Department of Physical Education, Karaj Branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Motor Behavior, Farhangian University, Tehran

https://doi.org/10.22089/mbj.2018.5478.1640
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of manipulating attentional focus on performance of top-spine strike of skilled and novice table tennis players under high psychological pressure. Thirty (15 skilled and 15 novices) persons participated in this study. Participants performed top-spine strike under high/low psychological pressure and different attentional focus conditions (single task, dual task with internal focus, dual task with irrelevant external attention, dual task with relevant external attention). Results revealed that novice group experienced lower decrease during high psychological pressure when their attentional focus was directed internally. No decrease was observed in the performance of skilled group when their attention was directed externally (relevant or irrelevant) during high pressure. These results were explained according to the dual effect of psychological pressure and the notion of controlling degrees of freedom.

Keywords

Attentional Focus
Psychological Pressure
Degrees of Freedom

Subjects

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Motor Behavior
Volume 11, Issue 36
Summer 2019
July 2019
Pages 67-88

  • Receive Date 29 January 2018
  • Revise Date 06 July 2018
  • Accept Date 22 July 2018

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