Anxiety, attentional control, and performance impairment in penalty kicks

Wilson, Mark R. and Wood, Greg and Vine, Samuel J. (2009) Anxiety, attentional control, and performance impairment in penalty kicks. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 31 (6). pp. 761-775. ISSN 0895-2779

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Abstract

The current study sought to test the predictions of attentional control theory (ACT) in a sporting environment. Fourteen experienced footballers took penalty kicks under low- and high-threat counterbalanced conditions while wearing a gaze registration system. Fixations to target locations (goalkeeper and goal area) were determined using frame-by-frame analysis. When anxious, footballers made faster first fixations and fixated for significantly longer toward the goalkeeper. This disruption in gaze behavior brought about significant reductions in shooting accuracy, with shots becoming significantly centralized and within the goalkeeper’s reach. These findings support the predictions of ACT, as anxious participants were more likely to focus on the “threatening” goalkeeper, owing to an increased influence of the stimulus-driven attentional control system.

Item Type:	Article
Keywords:	soccer, football, visual attention, attentional bias, choking
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
Faculty / Department:	Faculty of Human and Digital Sciences > School of Health and Sport Sciences
Depositing User:	Susan Murray
Date Deposited:	05 Mar 2014 08:54
Last Modified:	05 Mar 2014 08:54
URI:	https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/347

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