TY - CONF

T1 - Stepping Beyond Tradition:

T2 - FEPSAC Congress 2024 - European Congress of Sport and Exercise Psychology

AU - Hardman, Liam

AU - Owen, Robin

AU - Gottwald, Vicky

PY - 2024/7/16

Y1 - 2024/7/16

N2 - Coaching approaches derived from ecological psychology are becoming recognised as superior to traditional coaching techniques. One such method is the constraints-led approach (CLA). It is also argued that the CLA can promote an external focus of attention, potentially increasing the efficacy of this approach. In the present mixed methods study, the efficacy of using a physical constraint was evaluated against prescriptive instructions for learning the boxing stance and footwork with qualitative effects on individuals’ attentional focus also explored. Thirteen participants (Female = 6, Mean age = 22±2 SD), allocated to either CLA (n = 7) or prescriptive instructions (n = 6) groups, completed 100 trials, dispersed over acquisition, intervention, retention and transfer phases. Symmetric mean absolute percentage error (SMAPE) was used to assess performance through trial-by-trial accuracy compared to forecasted ‘ideal’ performance; devised from participants’ respective shoulder-width stances. After each phase, participants provided a qualitative account of their attentional focus. Preliminary analysis (of a growing data set) revealed a significant interaction (Group*Phase) for SMAPE (p = .023) favouring the prescriptive instructions group at retention (p = .008); this was attenuated at transfer. For the CLA group, SMAPE was significantly lower at transfer (p = .013), compared to retention performance. Two higher-order themes (External/Internal) and four lower-order themes (Internal-Associative/Dissociative; External-Associative/Dissociative) were synthesised from raw qualitative attentional focus accounts. However, both groups shared similar attentional foci. Despite the prescriptive instructions group initially having outperformed the CLA group, only the CLA group demonstrated significant learning outcomes, assessed via transfer. Attentional focus varied within groups, with no clear distinctions between groups. Respectively, it was unclear whether attentional focus influenced skill acquisition in the present study. Due to the similar improvements between groups and the additional motor learning benefits of CLA proposed in the literature, boxing coaches could implement the CLA into their traditional practices.

AB - Coaching approaches derived from ecological psychology are becoming recognised as superior to traditional coaching techniques. One such method is the constraints-led approach (CLA). It is also argued that the CLA can promote an external focus of attention, potentially increasing the efficacy of this approach. In the present mixed methods study, the efficacy of using a physical constraint was evaluated against prescriptive instructions for learning the boxing stance and footwork with qualitative effects on individuals’ attentional focus also explored. Thirteen participants (Female = 6, Mean age = 22±2 SD), allocated to either CLA (n = 7) or prescriptive instructions (n = 6) groups, completed 100 trials, dispersed over acquisition, intervention, retention and transfer phases. Symmetric mean absolute percentage error (SMAPE) was used to assess performance through trial-by-trial accuracy compared to forecasted ‘ideal’ performance; devised from participants’ respective shoulder-width stances. After each phase, participants provided a qualitative account of their attentional focus. Preliminary analysis (of a growing data set) revealed a significant interaction (Group*Phase) for SMAPE (p = .023) favouring the prescriptive instructions group at retention (p = .008); this was attenuated at transfer. For the CLA group, SMAPE was significantly lower at transfer (p = .013), compared to retention performance. Two higher-order themes (External/Internal) and four lower-order themes (Internal-Associative/Dissociative; External-Associative/Dissociative) were synthesised from raw qualitative attentional focus accounts. However, both groups shared similar attentional foci. Despite the prescriptive instructions group initially having outperformed the CLA group, only the CLA group demonstrated significant learning outcomes, assessed via transfer. Attentional focus varied within groups, with no clear distinctions between groups. Respectively, it was unclear whether attentional focus influenced skill acquisition in the present study. Due to the similar improvements between groups and the additional motor learning benefits of CLA proposed in the literature, boxing coaches could implement the CLA into their traditional practices.

M3 - Poster

Y2 - 15 July 2024 through 19 July 2024

ER -