Did You Punt Because Your Focus is On the Wrong Thing?

In this episode, Kris and Paul discuss a paper that explores how our attention - and where we focus it - can impact our performance:

Links between Attention, Performance Pressure, and Movement in Skilled Motor Action

Authored by Rob Gray; published in Current Directions in Psychological Science in June, 2011.

They’ll discuss the difference between focusing attention internally or externally, and how each has been shown to affect athletic performance, especially when the pressure is on. They’ll break down four ways that attention focus has been shown to impact movement, and what this information could mean for climbers.

*Additional studies/resources mentioned in this episode:

Performance of gymnastics skill benefits from an external focus of attention Authored by Reza Abdollahipour, Gabriele Wulf, Rudolf Psotta, and Miriam Palomo Nieto; published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, 2015.

Internal and External Focus of Attention in a Novice Form Sport Authored by Gavin P. Lawrence, Vicky M. Gottwald, James Hardy, and Michael A. Khan; published in Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2011.

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