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Directing attention to movement effects enhances learning: a review.
1Department of Kinesiology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 89154-3034, USA. gabriele.wulf@ccmail.nevada.edu
Psychonomic Bulletin & Review
|February 19, 2002
Summary
Directing attention to movement effects (external focus) enhances motor skill learning more than focusing on the movement itself (internal focus). External focus allows for automatic control, while internal focus can hinder natural motor processes.
Area of Science:
- Motor Learning
- Cognitive Psychology
- Biomechanics
Background:
- Learner's focus of attention significantly impacts motor skill acquisition.
- Previous research suggests a distinction between internal and external attentional foci.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review studies on how attentional focus influences motor skill learning.
- To explore the mechanisms underlying the effects of internal versus external focus.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies investigating attentional focus in motor learning.
- Analysis of research on the effects of instructions and feedback on attentional focus.
Main Results:
- External focus of attention generally leads to better motor skill learning compared to internal focus.
- Internal focus appears to constrain the motor system, interfering with natural control.
- External focus facilitates automatic control processes during movement execution.
Conclusions:
- Directing attention to movement outcomes (external focus) is more effective for motor learning.
- The ideomotor principle provides a theoretical framework for understanding these findings.
- Findings support the benefits of purposeful activity and automaticity in motor control.