Practice Methods with Different Attentional Focus for the Improvement of the Decision Making Skill in Volleyball

Abstract

The aim of physical education teaching at school is learning the technique, improvement of the performance learn strategies and acquiring knowledge. Little attention is given by the physical
educators for the improvement of cognitive and perceptual skills that may affect significantly motor performance, especially when environmental conditions are change. The purpose of this
study was to evaluate methods of practice with different allocation of attention for the improvement of their decision making skill in volleyball. Three methods of practice: a) the explicit learning via focus of attention to the key-points of the opponent’s body and learning of
if-then rules, b) implicit learning via general directions with no focus of attention, in order to avoid the acquisition of declarative knowledge and c) implicit learning via secondary task and d) a control group were used to investigate the improvement of the decision making skill. In
each group 15 novices in volleyball participated, aged 10-12 years (M = 10.48). There were three measurement periods: a) a pre - test measurement followed by a practice period of 12 physical education lessons, b) a post - test and c) a retention test one week after the post test. Evaluation criteria were reaction time and accuracy of the response. A factorial analysis of variance (4 groups x 3 measurements) with repeated measures on the last factor was used to analyze the data. From the results it was found that the groups followed the implicit method via secondary task and the implicit method via general directions were equally effective in all measurements and were better than the explicit group and this group was better than control group, in both speed and accuracy of the response. Possibly, the group practiced with explicit method was not so fast, because the conscious focus on the rules of the skill acquisition process prevented the autonomous control mechanism that would regulate the response. It seems that implicit learning via general directions works the same way as the implicit method via secondary task because it is not based on declarative knowledge, but through the unconscious
process allowing the automation of the response and making it faster and more accurate. In order to improve decision making in team sports, these methods of practice should be preferred from teachers for students in elementary school.