The Perception & Action Podcast

The second installment of My Head Training Journey where I examine whether a smart phone app can improve sports performance. Does the luge game race to the finish or going flying off the track?  My first episode on this topic can be found here:  http://perceptionaction.com/11d   Articles/Links: http://headtrainer.com/#/ As soon as the bat met the ball, I knew it was gone”: Outcome prediction, hind...

How prevalent are superstitious rituals in sports e.g., always wearing the same socks, eating the same meal or listening to the same music on game day? Do they serve actually serve a purpose?   Articles: Superstitious behavior in sport: Levels of effectiveness and determinants of use in three collegiate sports Superstitious Behavior Among American and Japanese Professional Baseball Players   More...

Recovering from an injury can be one of the most difficult challenges an athlete can face.  In this episode I discuss two topics related to this issue. First, I look at the growing epidemic that is sport related concussions  and consider issues related to detection, assessment, multiple concussion syndrome, and when an athlete can return to play.  Second, I discuss the role of attention in recover...

Dynavision is a visual training device that has been marketed for improving sports performance and has been around for roughly 25 years.  It has received a lot of anecdotal support from athlete but what does the research say about its effectiveness.  Surely, in 25 years there must be a ton of studies that have evaluated it? What can we learn from this case study of visual training in sport?   Arti...

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 rapidl...

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 actio...

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 Ot...

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 Mi...

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 ski...

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.cai...

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://w...

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 Liste...

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 cho...

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-sa...

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 informati...

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...

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...

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...

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) Tw...

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...

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.perceptionactionpodca...

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...

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   Cr...

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?  I...

News: Are brain areas that produce movement involved in anticipating it? How can we reduce motion sickness? Articles: Alleviating Simulator Sickness with Galvanic Cutaneous Stimulation An action-incongruent secondary task modulates prediction accuracy in experienced performers: evidence for motor simulation   More information http://www.perceptionactionpodcast.libsyn.com/ My Research Gate Page (pd...