The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research Paradigm
We investigated three areas of uncertainty about the role of vision in basketball shooting, the timing of fixations (early, late), the location of fixations (hoop centre, non-centre) and the effect of the defender on performance. We also sought to overcome a limitation of past quiet eye studies that...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-10-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02424/full |
| _version_ | 1811199641601966080 |
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| author | Joan N. Vickers Joe Causer Dan Vanhooren |
| author_facet | Joan N. Vickers Joe Causer Dan Vanhooren |
| author_sort | Joan N. Vickers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We investigated three areas of uncertainty about the role of vision in basketball shooting, the timing of fixations (early, late), the location of fixations (hoop centre, non-centre) and the effect of the defender on performance. We also sought to overcome a limitation of past quiet eye studies that reported only one quiet eye (QE) period prior to a phase of the action. Elite basketball players received the pass and took three-point shots in undefended and defended conditions. Five sequential QE periods were analyzed that were initiated prior to each phase of the shooting action: QE catch, QE arm preparation, QE arm flexion, QE arm extension, and QE ball release. We used a novel design in which the number of hits and misses were held constant by condition, thus leaving the timing and location of QE fixations free to vary across the phases during an equal number of successful and unsuccessful trials. The number of QE fixations accounted for 87% of total fixations. The greatest percent occurred during QE catch (43.6%), followed by QE arm flexion (34.1%), QE arm extension (17.5%) and QE ball release (4.8%). No fixations were found prior to QE arm preparation, due to a saccade made immediately to the target after QE catch. Fixation frequency averaged 2.20 per trial, and 1.25 during the final shooting action, meaning that most participants had time for only one fixation as the shot was taken. Accuracy was enhanced when: (1) an early QE offset occurred prior to the catch, (2) an early saccade was made to the target, (3) a longer QE duration occurred during arm flexion, and (4) QE arm flexion was located on the centre of the hoop, rather than on non-centre locations. Overall, the results provide evidence that vision of the hoop was severely limited during the last phase of the shooting action (QE ball release). The significance of the results is explored in the discussion, along with a QE training program designed to improve three-point shooting. Overall, the results greatly expand the role of the QE in explaining optimal motor performance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:52:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e0d366c886b7457db7e21300ac036d07 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T01:52:08Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-e0d366c886b7457db7e21300ac036d072022-12-22T03:52:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782019-10-011010.3389/fpsyg.2019.02424482843The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research ParadigmJoan N. Vickers0Joe Causer1Dan Vanhooren2Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaResearch Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United KingdomFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, CanadaWe investigated three areas of uncertainty about the role of vision in basketball shooting, the timing of fixations (early, late), the location of fixations (hoop centre, non-centre) and the effect of the defender on performance. We also sought to overcome a limitation of past quiet eye studies that reported only one quiet eye (QE) period prior to a phase of the action. Elite basketball players received the pass and took three-point shots in undefended and defended conditions. Five sequential QE periods were analyzed that were initiated prior to each phase of the shooting action: QE catch, QE arm preparation, QE arm flexion, QE arm extension, and QE ball release. We used a novel design in which the number of hits and misses were held constant by condition, thus leaving the timing and location of QE fixations free to vary across the phases during an equal number of successful and unsuccessful trials. The number of QE fixations accounted for 87% of total fixations. The greatest percent occurred during QE catch (43.6%), followed by QE arm flexion (34.1%), QE arm extension (17.5%) and QE ball release (4.8%). No fixations were found prior to QE arm preparation, due to a saccade made immediately to the target after QE catch. Fixation frequency averaged 2.20 per trial, and 1.25 during the final shooting action, meaning that most participants had time for only one fixation as the shot was taken. Accuracy was enhanced when: (1) an early QE offset occurred prior to the catch, (2) an early saccade was made to the target, (3) a longer QE duration occurred during arm flexion, and (4) QE arm flexion was located on the centre of the hoop, rather than on non-centre locations. Overall, the results provide evidence that vision of the hoop was severely limited during the last phase of the shooting action (QE ball release). The significance of the results is explored in the discussion, along with a QE training program designed to improve three-point shooting. Overall, the results greatly expand the role of the QE in explaining optimal motor performance.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02424/fullvisionmotor controlattentionperception-actionexpertiseeye tracking |
| spellingShingle | Joan N. Vickers Joe Causer Dan Vanhooren The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research Paradigm Frontiers in Psychology vision motor control attention perception-action expertise eye tracking |
| title | The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research Paradigm |
| title_full | The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research Paradigm |
| title_fullStr | The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research Paradigm |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research Paradigm |
| title_short | The Role of Quiet Eye Timing and Location in the Basketball Three-Point Shot: A New Research Paradigm |
| title_sort | role of quiet eye timing and location in the basketball three point shot a new research paradigm |
| topic | vision motor control attention perception-action expertise eye tracking |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02424/full |
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