The effect of attentional focus strategies on children performance and their EMG activities in maximum a force production task

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 26 - 30, 30.06.2017

Ramin Ashraf Mohammad Taghi Aghdasi Mansor Sayyah

Abstract

Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of adopting external focus of attention compared to internal focus of attention in children's motor performance and learning. The purpose of present study was to determine whether the external focus of attention had any effect on efficiency (reduction of EMG activity) of children's motor performance. The participants (twenty 8-10-year-old children) first performed vertical jump task in the control condition, then performed under two conditions in a counterbalanced order: external attentional focus and internal attentional focus. In the control condition, the participants performed vertical jump without giving attentional focus instruction. In the external focus condition, the participant's attention was directed to the rungs of a measurement device, namely, Vertec and in the internal focus condition, their attention was directed to their fingers with which they were to touch the rungs. The participants performed 8 vertical jumps in every three conditions and the heights of their jumps were measured. In addition, EMG activity of various muscles (anterior tibialis, biceps femoris, vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, and gastrocnemius) was measured when participants jumped, using electromyography. Results showed that the external focus of attention led to significantly better performance (higher vertical jump) compared to internal focus and control conditions. Also, in the external focus condition, EMG activity was significantly reduced compared to internal the focus and control condition. This present study suggests that adopting external attentional focus will improve effectiveness and efficiency of children's movement in tasks which require maximum force production.

Keywords

Children, EMG, external focus, internal focus, vertical jump

References

• Ashraf R, Aghdasi MT, Sayyah M, Taghibiglo N. The effects of internal and external focus of attention on children`s per-formance in vertical jump task. International Journal of Basic Sciences & Applied Research 2012; 1(1): 1- 7.
• Chiviacowsky S, Wulf G, Avila LTG. An external focus of attention enhances motor learning in children with intel-lectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Re-search 2012; doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01569.x.
• Chuah YM, Maybery MT. Verbal and spatial short term memory: common sources of developmental change? Ex-perimental Child Psychology, 1999; 73: 7-44.
• Emanuel M, Jarus T, Bart O. Effect of focus of attention and age on motor acquisition, retention, and transfer: A ran-domized trial. Physical Therapy 2007; 88: 1-10.
• Ferguson AN, Bowey JA. Global processing speed as a media-tor of developmental changes in children's auditory memory span. Experimental Child Psychology 2005; 91: 89-112.
• Karatekin C, Marcus DJ, Couperus JW. Regulation of cognitive resources during sustained attention and working memory in 10-year-olds and adults. Psychophysiology 2007; 44: 128-144.
• Konrad P. The ABC of EMG. Noraxon: Scottsdale, AZ. Re-trieved July 29, 2009, from http://www.demotu.org/aulas/ ABC of EMG.pdf, 2005.
• Landers M, Wulf G, Wallmann H, Guadagnoli MA. An exter-nal focus of attention attenuates balance impairment in Parkinson’s disease. Physiotherapy 2005; 91: 152–185.
• Lohse KR, Sherwood DE, Healy AF. Neuromuscular effects of shifting the focus of attention in a simple force produc-tion task. Journal of Motor Behavior 2011; 43: 173–184.
• Mantyla T, Carelli MG, Forman H. Time monitoring and execu-tive functioning in children and adults. Journal of Exper-imental Child Psychology 2007; 96: 1-19.
• Marchant DC. Mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of an external focus of attention. Frontiers in Movement Sci-ence and Sport Psychology (In press).
• Marchant DC, Greig M, Scott C. Attentional focusing strategies influence bicep EMG during isokinetic biceps curls. Ath-letic Insight. Retrieved July 11, 2009, from http://www.athleticinsight.com/Vol10Iss2/MuscularActivity.htm, 2009b.
• Marchant D, Clough P, Crawshaw M. The effects of attentional focusing strategies on novice dart throwing performance and their task experiences. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology 2007; 5: 291–303.
• Marchant D, Greig M, Scott C. Attentional focusing instruc-tions influence force production and muscular activity during isokinetic elbow flexions. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 2009a; 23: 2358–2366.
• Marchant D, Greig M, Scott C, Clough P. Attentional focusing strategies influence muscle activity during isokinetic bicep curls. In Poster presented at the annual conference of the British Psychological Society. Cardiff, UK, 2006.
• McNevin NH, Shea CH, Wulf G. Increasing the distance of an external focus of attention enhances learning. Psychologi-cal Research, 2003; 67: 22-29.
• Michelene TH. Short-term memory limitations in children: Capacity or processing deficits? Memory & Cognition 1976; 4(5): 559-572.
• Pollock BJ, Lee TD. Dissociated contextual interference effects in children and adults. Perceptual Motor Skills 1997; 84: 851-858.
• Porter J, Ostrowski EJ, Nolan RP, Wu WF. Standing long-jump performance is enhanced when using an external focus of attention. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 2010; 24(7): 1746-1750.
• Sullivan KJ, Kantak SS, Burtner PA. Motor learning in children: feedback effects on skill acquisition. Physical Therapy 2008; 88: 720-732.
• Thorn J. Using attentional strategies for balance performance and learning in nine through 12 year olds. Doctoral Dis-sertation, Florida State University, Rellahassee, 2006.
• Tipper SP, Bourque TA, Anderson SH, Brehaut JC. Mecha-nisms of attention: a developmental study. Experimental Child Psychology 1989; 48: 353-378.
• Vance J, Wulf G, Tollner T, McNevin NH, Mercer J. EMG activi-ty as a function of the performer's focus of attention. Journal of Motor Behavior 2004; 36: 450-459.
• Wulf G. Attentional focus and motor learning: A review of 10 years of research (target article). E-Journal Bewegung and Training 2007a; 1: 1–74.
• Wulf G. Attention and motor skill learning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007b.
• Wulf G, Dufek JS. Increased jump height with an external focus due to enhanced lower extremity joint kinetics. Journal of Motor Behavior 2009; 41: 401–409.
• Wulf G, McNevin NH. Simply distracting learners is not enough: More evidence for the learning benefits of an ex-ternal focus of attention. European Journal of Sport Sci-ence 2003; 3: 1–13.
• Wulf G, Su J. An external focus of attention enhances golf shot accuracy in beginners and experts. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2007; 78: 384–389.
• Wulf G, Dufek JS, Lozano L, Pettigrew Ch. Increased jump height and reduced EMG activity with an external focus. Human Movement Science 2010; 29: 440–448.
• Wulf G, Landers M, Lewthwaite R, Töllner T. External focus instructions reduce postural instability in individuals with Parkinson disease. Physical Therapy 2009; 89: 162–168.
• Wulf G, McNevin NH, Shea CH. The automaticity of complex motor skill learning as a function of attentional focus. The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 2001; 54A: 1143-1154.
• Wulf G, Shea CH, Park JH. Attention in motor learning: Prefer-ences for and advantages of an external focus. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport 2001; 72: 335–344.
• Wulf G, Weigelt M, Poulter DR, McNevin NH. Attentional focus on supra-postural tasks affects balance learning. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 2003; 56: 1191–1211.
• Wulf G, Zachry T, Granados C, Dufek JS. Increases in jump-and-reach height through an external focus of attention. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching 2007; 2: 275–284.
• Zachry I, Wulf G, Mercer J, Bezodis N. Increased movement accuracy and reduced EMG activity as the result of adopting an external focus of attention. Brain Research Bulletin 2005; 67: 304-309.