External focus benefits depend on action-effect contingencies formed during motor skill training

Area of Science:

• Motor Learning
• Cognitive Psychology
• Sports Science

Background:

• External focus of attention is generally considered superior for motor skill acquisition.
• However, recent evidence suggests its benefits are not universal.
• An effect-based framework proposes efficacy depends on learned action-effect contingencies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if limiting the development of action-effect associations during practice diminishes the external focus advantage.
• To test the predictions of an effect-based framework for attention focus in motor tasks.
• To examine the role of feedback in forming action-effect contingencies.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-four participants practiced an underhand ball-tossing task over two days.
• A Full Feedback (FF) group received complete post-release feedback; a Limited Feedback (LF) group received occluded feedback.
• Participants were tested on trained and novel targets under external, internal, and control focus conditions.

Main Results:

• On the trained target, the FF group showed benefits from external focus, while the LF group did not.
• In the transfer test, the FF group maintained consistency with external focus but lost accuracy compared to internal focus.
• The LF group showed no significant differences across focus conditions for either target.

Conclusions:

• External focus benefits are contingent upon established action-effect contingencies.
• The ability of external focus to parameterize action (accuracy) is limited by specific sensory information integrated during learning.
• An effect-based framework provides a nuanced understanding of attention focus in motor control and learning.