The Perception & Action Podcast - Sports Science & Psychology Talk

A discussion with Alana D’Andrade, Director of Business Development for Fitlight Sport Corporation whose main product is the Fitlight Trainer, a system designed to improve an athlete’s reaction time, speed, agility and awareness. Along with exploring the Fitlight Trainer in detail, we also discuss the value of research validation for products like this and what it’s like to be a part of the rapidly expanding sports technology industry.   More information about product discussed: http://www.fitlighttraining.com/ https://twitter.com/fitlighttrainer   More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Lo Fi is Hi Fi - I’m on a Talk Show Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org  

News: Do sports help protect against the effects of ageing? Can observing the performance of a novice hurt the actions of an expert?  Articles: Sports can protect dynamic visual acuity from aging: A study with young and older judo and karate martial arts athletes Watching novice action degrades expert motor performance: Causation between action production and outcome prediction of observed actions by humans Hitting is contagious: experience and action induction   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu Credits: Bored With Four – Kung Fu JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Bad News Learning Music - Contagious  via freemusicarchive.org     

Does making an athlete wait longer to perform a high pressure action (e.g., icing the kicker in football) increase the chance of them choking?  If so, why does it occur?   Articles: Haste does not always make waste: Expertise, direction of attention, and speed versus accuracy in performing sensorimotor skills Pressure Kicks in the NFL: An Archival Exploration into the Deployment of Timeouts and Other Environmental Correlates   More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org    

I tackle what has been one of the most interesting and contentious issues in sports psychology: hot and cold streaks in performance. Does the hot hand exist? What is the best way to get out a slump?  Is an athlete’s ability to perform under pressure influenced by the streak they are on?   What Grinds My Gears: Interviewing fails   Links to articles discussed: The Hot Hand In Basketball: On the Misperception of Random Sequences Twenty years of ‘hot hand’ research: Review and critique The hot hand reconsidered: A meta-analytic approach The Hot and Cold Hand in Volleyball: Individual Expertise Differences in a Video-Based Playmaker Decision Test Interactions between performance pressure, performance streaks, and attentional focus   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action The Agrarians – We Ru

Can training with the new HeadTrainer app make you a better athlete?  The beginning of my “head training journey” (http://perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/join-me-on-my-head-training-journey) where I dig into the science behind this first game in this app.   Links to articles discussed: http://headtrainer.com/#/ Reaction times and anticipatory skills of karate athletes Perceptual-cognitive skill training and its transfer to expert performance in the field: Future research directions   How to Listen & Subscribe to The Perception Action Podcast: http://perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/podcast/how-to-listen-and-subscribe-to-the-perception-action-podcast-0   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org    

A discussion with Robert Gronbeck, owner and coach at Cairns Sport Performance Clinic in Australia. Covering topics including: being an entrepreneur in sports psychology, perceptual-cognitive training using multiple object tracking, evaluating concussions, and the relationship (and often lack thereof) between basic research and practice in sports.    More information about my guest: http://www.cairnssportsperformanceclinic.com.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/pub/robert-gronbeck/6a/245/844 More information about products discussed: http://neurotracker.net/   How to Listen & Subscribe to The Perception Action Podcast: http://perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/podcast/how-to-listen-and-subscribe-to-the-perception-action-podcast-0   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Lo Fi is Hi Fi - I’m

News: Do good endurance athlete have superior perceptual and cognitive skills? Why do we sometimes do exactly the thing we are trying to avoid under pressure?  Articles: It’s a Matter of Mind! Cognitive Functioning Predicts the Athletic Performance in Ultra-Marathon Runners Don’t Miss, Don’t Miss, D’oh! Performance When Anxious Suffers Specifically Where Least Desired   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Bad News  via freemusicarchive.org     

Is it better to play and home or on the road in a sudden death playoff game?  Is the “home choke” real?   Links to articles discussed: Paradoxical effects of supportive audiences on performance under pressure Disputing the effects of championship pressures and home audiences The home disadvantage in championship competitions: team sports The “Home Advantage” in Athletic Competitions   How to Listen & Subscribe to The Perception Action Podcast: http://perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/podcast/how-to-listen-and-subscribe-to-the-perception-action-podcast-0   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org  

We have all seen it.  A great athlete has a chance to win a championship.  All that is required for them to do something they have done hundreds of times before…sink a 3 foot putt, make a free throw, kick a 20 year field goal. And they miss!  In this episode I explore the fascinating topic of choking under pressure. Why do some athletes excel in these situations while others fail?  What causes choking and want can an athlete do to prevent it? Research confessions: Choking under pressure while talking about choking under pressure    Links to articles discussed: Test anxiety and direction of attention Choking under pressure: self-consciousness and paradoxical effects of incentives on skillful performance Paradoxical effects of supportive audiences on performance under pressure: The home field disadvantage in sports championships Thoughts and attention of athletes under pressure: skill-focus or performance worries? Attending to the Execution of a Complex Sensorimotor Skill: Expertise Differences, Choking, and Sl

This past Friday one of my personal favorite sporting events kicked off…the Rugby World Cup.  The NFL Football season is also of course now in full swing.  So, which sport has the bigger hits: football or rugby?   Links to articles discussed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7tGY-VDx3o http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/story/2015-09-11/jarryd-hayne-49ers-nfl-rugby-league-running-back-position-cut-san-francisco-monday-night-football http://espn.go.com/nfl/player/_/id/3423412/jarryd-hayne Perceiving and acting upon spaces in a VR rugby task: expertise effects in affordance detection and task achievement.   How to Listen & Subscribe to The Perception Action Podcast: http://perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/podcast/how-to-listen-and-subscribe-to-the-perception-action-podcast-0   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin'

News: Do NBA All Stars run further and faster? Do in-car technologies make drivers complacent?  Articles: Exploring Game Performance in the National Basketball Association Using Player Tracking Data How does a collision warning system shape driver's brake response time? The influence of expectancy and automation complacency on real-life emergency braking Google car accident data   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Bad News John Welsey Coleman – Ooh Basketball  via freemusicarchive.org  

Is the claim that visual training can “improve vision” deceptive and worthy of a $150K fine from the FTC?  Can we say that the benefits of visual training will transfer to sports performance?   Links to articles discussed: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/09/ftc-charges-marketers-vision-improvement-app-deceptive-claims Improved Vision and On Field Performance in Baseball through Perceptual Learning   How to Listen & Subscribe to The Perception Action Podcast: http://perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/podcast/how-to-listen-and-subscribe-to-the-perception-action-podcast-0   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org    

How long do athletes retain the sports skills they learn: 5 years, 10 years, forever?  If they do lose something, what is it?  How easy is it to transfer from one sport to another?  What factors determine whether or not transfer will be successful?  This episode explores the topic of retention and transfer of sports skills. Links to articles discussed: Long-term effects of type of practice on the learning and transfer of a complex motor skill Retention of Quiet Eye in Older Skilled Basketball Players Do pattern recognition skills transfer across sports? A preliminary analysis The cycling physiology of Miguel Indurain 14 years after retirement Transfer of motor and perceptual skills from basketball to darts Virtual realities as optimal learning environments in sport – A transfer study of virtual and real dart throwing   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Emai

Did Serena Williams choke under pressure in her historical US Open loss?  Is virtual reality training going to revolutionize quarterback play? It certainly doesn't seem to be working for Auburn's Jeremy Johnson.      Links to Articles Discussed: http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen15/story/_/id/13618884/us-open-numbers-explain-why-serena-williams-queen-clutch http://espn.go.com/tennis/usopen15/story/_/id/13632981/us-open-statistically-nerves-factored-serena-williams-loss http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2015/08/vr_troopers_auburn_institutes.html   How to Listen & Subscribe to The Perception Action Podcast: http://perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/podcast/how-to-listen-and-subscribe-to-the-perception-action-podcast-0   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: Shake Some Action by The Flamin' Groovies via freemusicarchive

News: Can surfers really detect a perfect wave? Are smart phone notifications distracting us?  Articles: Eddie would(n’t) go! Perceptual-cognitive expertise in surfing The Attentional Cost of Receiving a Cell Phone Notification   More information: http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Bad News The Pharoas – Mission Bucharest   Pirato Ketchup – Speed Surfer

How do we know how well a new training program or piece of sports equipment is working?  Is looking at how performance changes in practice (by plotting a "learning curve") really the best way to assess skill acquisition. No, no it isn’t.  In this episode I make the case for going off the learning curve in favor of other ways of measuring skill learning in sport. Technically Challenged: Review of motion tracking system http://inertia-technology.com/promove-mini   Links to articles discussed: Contextual interference effects on the acquisition, retention, and transfer of a motor skill Contextual interference: a meta-analytic study Practicing Field Hockey Skills Along the Contextual Interference Continuum: A Comparison of Five Practice Schedules Increased movement accuracy and reduced EMG activity as the result of adopting an external focus of attention    More information http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics

News: Are coaches using too much sports technology to evaluate players? How do police officers handle the pressure of a high speed chase? Articles: Blaming Bill Gates AGAIN! Misuse, overuse and misunderstanding of performance data in sport Psychophysiological Assessment of Acute Stress Induced by High-Pressure Law-Enforcement Driving: A Pilot Study More information http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound – Bad News    

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said: “The importance of repetition until automaticity cannot be overstated”. Reaching a stage where some skills can be performed “automatically” is thought to be one of the main goals of sports training and one of the defining characteristics of being an expert.  But what exactly does it mean for a sports skill to be “automatic” and how exactly is this desired state achieved through training? In this episode, I introduce the topic of skill acquisition be exploring traditional theories of how an athlete progresses from a novice to an expert. Research confessions: Does research always happen like we say it does in journal articles?   Links to articles discussed: Movement automaticity in sport From attentional control to attentional spillover: a skill-level investigation of attention, movement, and performance outcomes Expertise, attention, and memory in sensorimotor skill execution: impact of novel task constraints on dual-task performance and episodic memory Fi

News: Is listening to heavy metal music bad for you?   Articles: Three Decades Later: The Life Experiences and Mid-Life Functioning of 1980s Heavy Metal Groupies, Musicians, and Fans   More information http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu   Credits: Insane Ride – Sound of Rock n Roll Jose O Salvador – For Those About to Rock Behold the Living Corpse – Death March Without God – Space Weed Wizardry – Keeper of Doom Vincebus Eruptum – Hand of Doomish Metamophosis – Ballada Bezbozna Tombs – Seven Stars of The Angel of Death Hellcore - Sakit Jiwa Terinfeksi Subterrestrial – We Live Inside The Old Submarine – Flawless Utopian Condition – Human Despair Singularity – Screaming at the Sun Hound – Sleeping Hound Silent Sorrow - The Sorrow Embrace Zoliborz - To Balagopalan Ganapathy via freemusicarchive.org and jamendo.com

What should an athlete focus their attention on when performing their sport? Should you pay attention to how your body is moving, the crowd, your opponents, what you need to buy at the store after the game, or something else?  Is it the same if you just learning the sport?  In this episode I focus my attention of focusing attention. What Grinds My Gears: Does sports science get enough respect?  Internal/external focus debate   Links to articles discussed: When paying attention becomes counterproductive Attending to the Execution of a Complex Sensorimotor Skill: Expertise Differences, Choking, and Slumps Attention and motor performance: Preferences for and advantages of an external focus Enhancing the learning of sport skills through external-focus feedback From attentional control to attentional spillover: A skill-level investigation of attention, movement, and performance outcomes Effects of focus of attention on baseball batting performance in players of different skill level Increasing the distance of an e