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Comparing highly trained handball players' and non-athletes' performance in a multi-object tracking task
Michał Wierzbicki1, Kamil Rupaszewski1, Piotr Styrkowiec1
1Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland.
The Journal of General Psychology
|August 14, 2023
Summary
Highly trained handball players demonstrate superior visual attentional skills and motor control compared to non-athletes. While attentional load impacts motor performance, its effect is less pronounced in athletes during a complex tracking task.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Cognitive Psychology
- Motor Control
Background:
- Team sports players exhibit enhanced visual attentional skills and motor control.
- Understanding the interplay between attention and motor performance in athletes is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the multiple object tracking (MOT) task performance of handball players and non-athletes.
- To investigate the differential impact of attentional load on motor control between athletes and non-athletes.
Main Methods:
- A modified multiple object tracking (MOT) task was employed, requiring participants to point at moving targets.
- Performance was assessed by comparing handball players with a control group of non-athletes.
Main Results:
- Handball players significantly outperformed non-athletes in the MOT task, confirming superior visual attentional skills.
- The attentional load in the MOT task had a limited, though potentially present, influence on the pointing movements of athletes.
Conclusions:
- Intensive training in team sports enhances visual attention and motor control.
- Athletes show greater resilience to attentional load affecting motor performance, though further research is needed.
