An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol
The core dimensions of cognitive fitness, such as attention and cognitive control, are emerging through a transdisciplinary expert consensus on what has been termed the Cognitive Fitness Framework (CF2). These dimensions represent key drivers of cognitive performance under pressure across many occup...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.957551/full |
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| author | Eugene Aidman Eugene Aidman Eugene Aidman Gerard J. Fogarty Gerard J. Fogarty John Crampton Jeffrey Bond Paul Taylor Andrew Heathcote Leonard Zaichkowsky |
| author_facet | Eugene Aidman Eugene Aidman Eugene Aidman Gerard J. Fogarty Gerard J. Fogarty John Crampton Jeffrey Bond Paul Taylor Andrew Heathcote Leonard Zaichkowsky |
| author_sort | Eugene Aidman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The core dimensions of cognitive fitness, such as attention and cognitive control, are emerging through a transdisciplinary expert consensus on what has been termed the Cognitive Fitness Framework (CF2). These dimensions represent key drivers of cognitive performance under pressure across many occupations, from first responders to sport, performing arts and the military. The constructs forming the building blocks of CF2 come from the RDoC framework, an initiative of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) aimed at identifying the cognitive processes underlying normal and abnormal behavior. Similar to physical conditioning, cognitive fitness can be improved with deliberate practice. This paper reports the development of a prototype cognitive fitness training program for competitive athletes and the protocol for its evaluation. The program is focused on primary cognitive capacities and subtending skills for adjusting training rhythms and enhancing readiness for competition. The project is driven by the Australian Psychological Society’s College of Sport & Exercise Psychology and includes the development of a Cognitive Gym program for a smartphone app-enhanced implementation. Its key building blocks are training protocols (drills) connected by a periodized training plan. A website with background supporting resources has also been developed as part of the project. National-level training squads will participate in a three-week pilot evaluation protocol, assessing the program’s efficacy and usability through gamified cognitive assessment of participants’ training gains and coaching staff evaluations, respectively. Both near and far transfer of training effects will be examined. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:33:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-238d3d126615456fb36272dc549f9b1c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T01:33:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-238d3d126615456fb36272dc549f9b1c2022-12-22T03:08:26ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-08-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.957551957551An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocolEugene Aidman0Eugene Aidman1Eugene Aidman2Gerard J. Fogarty3Gerard J. Fogarty4John Crampton5Jeffrey Bond6Paul Taylor7Andrew Heathcote8Leonard Zaichkowsky9College of Sport and Exercise Psychologists, Australian Psychological Society, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaDivision of Human and Decision Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Group, Edinburgh, SA, AustraliaSchool of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, AustraliaCollege of Sport and Exercise Psychologists, Australian Psychological Society, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaSchool of Psychology, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, AustraliaCollege of Sport and Exercise Psychologists, Australian Psychological Society, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaCollege of Sport and Exercise Psychologists, Australian Psychological Society, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaSchool of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, AustraliaSchool of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, AustraliaCollege of Education & Human Development, Boston University, Boston, MA, United StatesThe core dimensions of cognitive fitness, such as attention and cognitive control, are emerging through a transdisciplinary expert consensus on what has been termed the Cognitive Fitness Framework (CF2). These dimensions represent key drivers of cognitive performance under pressure across many occupations, from first responders to sport, performing arts and the military. The constructs forming the building blocks of CF2 come from the RDoC framework, an initiative of the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) aimed at identifying the cognitive processes underlying normal and abnormal behavior. Similar to physical conditioning, cognitive fitness can be improved with deliberate practice. This paper reports the development of a prototype cognitive fitness training program for competitive athletes and the protocol for its evaluation. The program is focused on primary cognitive capacities and subtending skills for adjusting training rhythms and enhancing readiness for competition. The project is driven by the Australian Psychological Society’s College of Sport & Exercise Psychology and includes the development of a Cognitive Gym program for a smartphone app-enhanced implementation. Its key building blocks are training protocols (drills) connected by a periodized training plan. A website with background supporting resources has also been developed as part of the project. National-level training squads will participate in a three-week pilot evaluation protocol, assessing the program’s efficacy and usability through gamified cognitive assessment of participants’ training gains and coaching staff evaluations, respectively. Both near and far transfer of training effects will be examined.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.957551/fullcognitionfitnessperformanceenhancementinterventionwellbeing |
| spellingShingle | Eugene Aidman Eugene Aidman Eugene Aidman Gerard J. Fogarty Gerard J. Fogarty John Crampton Jeffrey Bond Paul Taylor Andrew Heathcote Leonard Zaichkowsky An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol Frontiers in Psychology cognition fitness performance enhancement intervention wellbeing |
| title | An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol |
| title_full | An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol |
| title_fullStr | An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol |
| title_full_unstemmed | An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol |
| title_short | An app-enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes: The rationale and validation protocol |
| title_sort | app enhanced cognitive fitness training program for athletes the rationale and validation protocol |
| topic | cognition fitness performance enhancement intervention wellbeing |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.957551/full |
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