Motor learning and attentional focus have been examined quite extensively; however, results regarding the best type of attentional focus for novice learners are equivocal. The purpose of the current study was to determine which type of attentional focus is most beneficial over extended practice phases when learning the complex skill of the volleyball serve. Three novice learners who had no prior formalized training in the sport of volleyball completed 240 service trials over eight days after an initial baseline phase. A single-subject design with alternating treatments was employed in this study. After receiving initial instructions, each participant served three blocks of 10 serves scored on a four point system based on that used by Wulf and colleagues (2002). After baseline scoring was established, the participants were given either external or internal focus instructions. The type of instructions that were given to the participants alternated every 60 serves and the order of the treatments was counterbalanced across participants. The participants completed a total of 120 serves using each type of focus. Visual inspection of the results, as well as the effect size of both types of instructional statements, revealed no clear trends for any of the participants. This study expanded the breadth of research in the field of attentional focus and will aid future studies examining the effects of attentional focus on the acquisition of sport specific skills. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:handle/188456 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Garner, Megan R. |
| Contributors | Bell, Robert J. |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Format | viii, 64 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm. |
| Source | Virtual Press |
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