Psychology Colloquia

Abstract:

Numerous studies in the past 10 year have demonstrated that an individual's focus of attention influences the performance and learning of motor skills. Specifically, an external focus of attention (i.e., focus on the movement effect) has been shown to be more effective than an internal focus (i.e., focus on the movements themselves). Advantages of adopting an external focus, induced by instructions or feedback, have been shown for a variety of motor skills, skill levels, and populations (including persons with motor impairments). Evidence in support of the constrained action hypothesis, which has been put forward as an explanation for the attentional focus effects, will be presented. These findings indicate that an external focus promotes automaticity in movement control, with the consequence that the effectiveness and efficiency of motor performance is enhanced.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Gabriele Wulf is a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Dr. Wulf has more than 100 publications in motor learning and control and 35 publications related to attentional focus and motor skills. She initiated the line of research described in this book--external versus internal focus of attention--in the mid-1990s. She has been a section editor for Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal and has been an editorial board member for Journal of Motor Behavior, Human Movement Science, and International Journal of Fitness, as well as an international advisory board Member for Physiotherapy. She also served as secretary and treasurer from 2002 to 2004 for the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity.

In her leisure time, Dr. Wulf enjoys working out, skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving, and riding her motorcycle.

For More Information About This Speaker:

http://kinesiology.unlv.edu/wulf/index.html
Dr. Wulf's webpage at UNLV.

University of California, San Diego
Homepage Calendar Directions Past Events Psych Homepage UCSD Homepage	The Department of Psychology is Honored to Present a Talk by Gabriele Wulf University of Nevada, Las Vegas "Attention and Motor Skill Learning" Presented on November 29, 2007 Location: The Crick Conference Room Mandler Hall, room 3545 Abstract: Numerous studies in the past 10 year have demonstrated that an individual's focus of attention influences the performance and learning of motor skills. Specifically, an external focus of attention (i.e., focus on the movement effect) has been shown to be more effective than an internal focus (i.e., focus on the movements themselves). Advantages of adopting an external focus, induced by instructions or feedback, have been shown for a variety of motor skills, skill levels, and populations (including persons with motor impairments). Evidence in support of the constrained action hypothesis, which has been put forward as an explanation for the attentional focus effects, will be presented. These findings indicate that an external focus promotes automaticity in movement control, with the consequence that the effectiveness and efficiency of motor performance is enhanced. About the Speaker: Dr. Gabriele Wulf is a professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. Dr. Wulf has more than 100 publications in motor learning and control and 35 publications related to attentional focus and motor skills. She initiated the line of research described in this book--external versus internal focus of attention--in the mid-1990s. She has been a section editor for Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport and Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal and has been an editorial board member for Journal of Motor Behavior, Human Movement Science, and International Journal of Fitness, as well as an international advisory board Member for Physiotherapy. She also served as secretary and treasurer from 2002 to 2004 for the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity. In her leisure time, Dr. Wulf enjoys working out, skiing, windsurfing, scuba diving, and riding her motorcycle. For More Information About This Speaker: http://kinesiology.unlv.edu/wulf/index.html Dr. Wulf's webpage at UNLV.
Researchers and the general public are both welcome to attend the Psychology department's colloquia. Reservations are not required, and admission is free. If you have any questions regarding the department's colloquium series, then please write to colloquia@psy.ucsd.edu