Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players

The cognitive processes that influence athletic performance have been increasingly studied in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention programme aimed at improving the attentional focus of football players, using game situations similar to...

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Main Authors: Juan Martín Tassi, Miguel Ángel López Fajardo, Jesús Díaz García, Tomás García Calvo, Inmaculada Gonzalez Ponce
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Asociación Española de Ciencias del Deporte 2023-06-01
Series:European Journal of Human Movement
Subjects:
Online Access:http://eurjhm.com/index.php/eurjhm/article/view/798
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author Juan Martín Tassi
Miguel Ángel López Fajardo
Jesús Díaz García
Tomás García Calvo
Inmaculada Gonzalez Ponce
author_facet Juan Martín Tassi
Miguel Ángel López Fajardo
Jesús Díaz García
Tomás García Calvo
Inmaculada Gonzalez Ponce
author_sort Juan Martín Tassi
collection DOAJ
description The cognitive processes that influence athletic performance have been increasingly studied in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention programme aimed at improving the attentional focus of football players, using game situations similar to competitive ones. The participants were 46 male football players belonging to the youth academy of a first division Argentine football club, who were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The methodological design was quasi-experimental, with pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up measures. The measures used were the Psychological Inventory of Sport Performance was used. The results showed significant differences in the variable attentional control in favour of the experimental group compared with the control group after the intervention period and during the follow-up period. On the other hand, the other of the variables analysed (negative coping control, visual image control, positive coping control, and attitudinal control) did not show significant differences between the two groups, but there was a positive trend in the experimental group after the intervention. In conclusion, the use of strategies related to attentional focus in habitual tactical and specific football training tasks seems to have a positive effect on attentional control.
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spelling doaj.art-939e31eaae8c427182bce75a7ab3304d2023-07-07T18:54:09ZengAsociación Española de Ciencias del DeporteEuropean Journal of Human Movement2386-40952023-06-015010.21134/eurjhm.2023.50.6Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players Juan Martín Tassi0Miguel Ángel López Fajardo1Jesús Díaz García2Tomás García Calvo3Inmaculada Gonzalez Ponce4Argentine Football AssociationFaculty of Sport Sciences. University of Extremadura.Faculty of Sport Sciences. University of Extremadura.Faculty of Sport Sciences. University of Extremadura.University of Extremadura The cognitive processes that influence athletic performance have been increasingly studied in recent years. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of an intervention programme aimed at improving the attentional focus of football players, using game situations similar to competitive ones. The participants were 46 male football players belonging to the youth academy of a first division Argentine football club, who were divided into an experimental group and a control group. The methodological design was quasi-experimental, with pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up measures. The measures used were the Psychological Inventory of Sport Performance was used. The results showed significant differences in the variable attentional control in favour of the experimental group compared with the control group after the intervention period and during the follow-up period. On the other hand, the other of the variables analysed (negative coping control, visual image control, positive coping control, and attitudinal control) did not show significant differences between the two groups, but there was a positive trend in the experimental group after the intervention. In conclusion, the use of strategies related to attentional focus in habitual tactical and specific football training tasks seems to have a positive effect on attentional control. http://eurjhm.com/index.php/eurjhm/article/view/798Principles of game; specific tasks; constraints; quasi-experimental
spellingShingle Juan Martín Tassi
Miguel Ángel López Fajardo
Jesús Díaz García
Tomás García Calvo
Inmaculada Gonzalez Ponce
Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players
European Journal of Human Movement
Principles of game; specific tasks; constraints; quasi-experimental
title Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players
title_full Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players
title_fullStr Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players
title_full_unstemmed Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players
title_short Attentional focus in team sports: Effects of an intervention program on football players
title_sort attentional focus in team sports effects of an intervention program on football players
topic Principles of game; specific tasks; constraints; quasi-experimental
url http://eurjhm.com/index.php/eurjhm/article/view/798
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AT jesusdiazgarcia attentionalfocusinteamsportseffectsofaninterventionprogramonfootballplayers
AT tomasgarciacalvo attentionalfocusinteamsportseffectsofaninterventionprogramonfootballplayers
AT inmaculadagonzalezponce attentionalfocusinteamsportseffectsofaninterventionprogramonfootballplayers