Mobile technologies and perceptual-cognitive training
The advancement of research in the area of perceptual-cognitive skills and of the technology in the domain has developed in parallel. The numerous review articles in the area in just the past couple of years testify to the importance and excitement surrounding the domain (e.g., Appelbaum & Erickson, 2018; Hadlow et al., 2018; Harris et al., 2018; Fadde & Zaichkowsky, 2019). Previous research has provided information on several levels: namely, (a) understanding - of the perceptual- cognitive processes and their underlying mechanisms, (b) measurement - developing tools that can measure, assess, and monitor perceptual-cognitive skills, and (c) training - providing support that these skills can be trained with a variety of methods and technologies. Additionally, innovative technologies that are geared to train a spectrum of perceptual-cognitive skills have developed and are becoming more mobile, user-friendly, and advanced. These are very important and promising developments in the domain. However, several issues remain in the form of limitations and gaps that need to be addressed so that every athlete, coach, and team can make use of perceptual-cognitive training technologies systemati-cally and as part of the regular training schedule, similar to gym workouts.
The main concern with mobile training technologies is the transferability to domain-specific, representative, and real-world tasks (Broadbent et al., 2015). Three factors should be considered: (a) the skill that is trained needs to correspond with the transfer target skill, (b) the technology task needs to be similar to the transfer target task, and (c) the interaction with the technology needs to be similar to the real-world environment (e.g., stimuli and response; see Hadlow et al., 2019). Additionally, research examining the effectiveness of training technology should be much more rigorous (e.g., include placebo and control groups), systematic (e.g., examine a variety of training protocols) and, importantly, inde-pendent of the technology company (Harris et al., 2019).
Another main concern is the paucity of research and technology geared to-ward the team setting (and not the individual). Shared mental modules and team decision-making is an emerging topic in the domain (Gershgoren et al., 2016; Filho, Gershgoren, Basevitch, & Tenenbaum, 2014). Innovative technology that can help train a team to work more efficiently with optimal coordination and understanding is warranted. Furthermore, use of current knowledge from the research domain needs to be adapted to technological developments. For example, gaze behavior is a mechanism that links with players` anticipation and decision-making skills (Panchuk et al., 2015). Thus, technology that corrects gaze behavior based on successful and elite players` gaze behavior could help im-prove decision-making skills and performance. This could be done with an advanced eye tracking device, coupled with virtual reality that provides feedback (and evaluates) gaze behavior live during performance. Finally, to address these concerns, move the field forward, and continue advancing mobile training technology, stronger collaborations among researchers, practitioners (e.g., players, coaches, and applied sport psychologists), and technology companies is required.
© Copyright 2021 Advances in mental skills training. Published by Routledge. All rights reserved.
| Subjects: | |
|---|---|
| Notations: | training science social sciences biological and medical sciences |
| Tagging: | Perzeption perzeptuelles Training |
| Published in: | Advances in mental skills training |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Abingdon
Routledge
2021
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| Online Access: | https://www.routledge.com/Advancements-in-Mental-Skills-Training/Bertollo-Filho-Terry/p/book/9780367111588 |
| Pages: | 123-134 |
| Document types: | article |
| Level: | advanced |