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Timing a fake punch: Inhibitory effects in a boxing-specific spatial attention task.
Daniel Pfister1, Robin C Jackson2, Iris Güldenpenning3
1Department of Health and Kinesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola, FL, USA.
Human Movement Science
|April 19, 2023
Summary
In sports like boxing, deceptive actions can slow reaction times due to inhibition of return (IOR). Even trained athletes show this effect, suggesting timing is key for deception.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Sports science
- Motor control
Background:
- Spatial attention influences response times through priming and inhibition of return (IOR).
- The interval between cue and target determines whether priming or IOR dominates.
- Deceptive actions in sports present unique challenges for spatial attention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relevance of spatial attention effects, specifically IOR, in a boxing context.
- To examine how feints and punches interact to affect reaction times.
- To determine if athletes are more or less susceptible to IOR than non-athletes.
Main Methods:
- Developed a boxing-specific task simulating feints and punches.
- Recruited 20 boxers and 20 non-boxers to participate.
- Measured reaction times to punches following a feint at a 600 ms interval.
Main Results:
- Significantly longer reaction times were observed for punches on the same side as a preceding feint after a 600 ms interval, consistent with IOR.
- A positive correlation was found between years of boxing training and the magnitude of the IOR effect.
- Both boxers and non-boxers exhibited IOR, indicating susceptibility to deception.
Conclusions:
- Inhibition of return is a relevant factor in sports involving deceptive actions like boxing.
- Athletes, despite training, can be susceptible to deception if the timing is precise.
- Sport-specific tasks are valuable for studying cognitive phenomena like IOR.
