Topical Review: Perceptual-cognitive Skills, Methods, and Skill-based Comparisons in Interceptive Sports

Abstract

SIGNIFICANCEWe give a comprehensive picture of perceptual-cognitive (PC) skills that could contribute to performance in interceptive sports. Both visual skills that are low level and unlikely influenced by experience and higher-level cognitive-attentional skills are considered, informing practitioners for identification and training and alerting researchers to gaps in the literature.Perceptual-cognitive skills and abilities are keys to success in interceptive sports. The interest in identifying which skills and abilities underpin success and hence should be selected and developed is likely going to grow as technologies for skill testing and training continue to advance. Many different methods and measures have been applied to the study of PC skills in the research laboratory and in the field, and research findings across studies have often been inconsistent. In this article, we provide definitional clarity regarding whether a skill is primarily visual attentional (ranging from fundamental/low-level skills to high-level skills) or cognitive. We review those skills that have been studied using sport-specific stimuli or tests, such as postural cue anticipation in baseball, as well as those that are mostly devoid of sport context, considered general skills, such as dynamic visual acuity. In addition to detailing the PC skills and associated methods, we provide an accompanying table of published research since 1995, highlighting studies (for various skills and sports) that have and have not differentiated across skill groups.

Tau and kappa in interception – how perceptual spatiotemporal interrelations affect movements

“…Due to sensorimotor delays of 100 ms, this requires predictions of temporal and spatial motion characteristics of the actor, his/her surroundings, or both (Fiehler et al, 2019 ). Predictions as part of anticipation are based on fundamental perceptual (e.g., visual) and attentional skills (Hodges et al, 2021 ; Loffing & Cañal-Bruland, 2017 ). As such, they have been widely studied for visual stimuli, often including eye tracking as a measure of oculomotor processes highly intertwined with motion prediction and interception (Fooken et al, 2021 ; Fooken & Spering, 2020 ).…”

“…As alluded to above, complex predictions underlying interception are based on perceptual and related processes, including, for example, attention and working memory (Hodges et al, 2021 ). However, human perception of time and space is far from perfect and can be influenced by other available information.…”

Attributes of Expert Anticipation Should Inform the Design of Virtual Reality Simulators to Accelerate Learning and Transfer of Skill

“…The purpose of this brief opinion paper is to discuss what is currently known about expert pick-up of visual information for anticipation and how it can be trained, with a view that this knowledge can better inform VR simulator content design. Anticipation is defined as the capability to use visual (e.g., opponent kinematics) and non-visual (e.g., game score) information to predict what will happen, before or early in an opponent’s action, and make a correct decision using verbal, button press, or motor responses [ 6 ]. This paper is focused upon the critical skill of anticipation because in striking or open-field play sports, performers need to make or inhibit fast actions with minimal error tolerance under pressure [ 7 ].…”

Analysis on the Development Strategy of Computer Education Microcourse Resources Based on a Cognitive Diagnosis Method

“…However, as far as the current situation of computer courses is concerned, due to the deep influence of traditional educational concepts, most schools still follow the traditional full-class teaching mode [6]. The classroom atmosphere is boring, and it is difficult to motivate students to participate [7]. The desire for classroom activities, coupled with the fact that computer is a highly operable course, relies solely on teachers to explain theoretical knowledge without allowing students to perform practical operations; it is difficult for students to truly grasp the content of what they have learned.…”