External Focus of Attention Enhances Children's Learning of a Classical Ballet Pirouette

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of instructions promoting an external versus internal focus of attention on the learning of a specific balance task, the pirouette en dehors (from fourth position), in 10-year-old novice ballet students. In addition, we sought to gain insight into learners' motivation and subjective learning experience as a function of different focus conditions. Thirty-eight children were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the external focus (EF) group, participants were asked to focus on a spotting point on the wall in front of them for as long as possible. In the internal focus (IF) group, participants were asked to focus on the initial position of their head relative to the wall in front of them and on keeping it in that position for as long as possible. The task goal was to rotate as far as possible, and the dependent variable was the number of degrees rotated. All participants performed 15 practice trials of a (right) pirouette. Two days later, participants completed retention and transfer (left pirouette) tests without attentional focus reminders. After the practice phase, participants were asked what they thought about while practicing the pirouette and completed self-rating scales related to their perceived competence, effort, and sense of the importance of doing well. The EF group demonstrated superior performance relative to the IF group during practice, retention, and transfer phases. In addition, EF participants' responses indicated higher perceived competence and greater satisfaction with their performance, as well as greater importance of performing well. In contrast, IF participants reported more nervousness and fear of losing balance and not doing well. Overall, the findings demonstrate that external relative to internal focus instructions enhanced the students' learning of the pirouette en dehors and had positive motivational consequences.