Near Misses and the Effect of Attentional Asymmetries on Sporting Performance

Owen Churches, Michael E.R. Nicholls

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Our ability to attend to the environment is not symmetrical. Rather, our attention in space is characterized by two biases, one operating in the horizontal plane, which draws attention leftward, and the other operating in the vertical plane, which draws attention upward. These biases are readily observed in controlled laboratory settings and also impact everyday activities. They also have pronounced effects on the way athletes perform in a variety of sports. This chapter first reviews the literature on asymmetries in spatial attention and its neurological basis before reviewing literature which shows the way these biases affect the performance of athletes in sports including golf, Australian rules football, soccer, baseball, and archery.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLaterality in Sports
Subtitle of host publicationTheories and Applications
PublisherElsevier
Pages205-224
Number of pages20
ISBN (Print)9780128014264
DOIs
Publication statusPublished or Issued - 24 Aug 2016
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Attention
  • Line bisection
  • Pseudoneglect
  • Sport

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine
  • General Neuroscience

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