External versus internal focus enhances motor performance and learning in children with different visuospatial working memory capacities

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61989592%3A15510%2F25%3A73628513" target="_blank" >RIV/61989592:15510/25:73628513 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167945725000089" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167945725000089</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2025.103327" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.humov.2025.103327</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

External versus internal focus enhances motor performance and learning in children with different visuospatial working memory capacities

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Research has shown that external focus (EF) instructions—directing attention to intended movement effects (e.g., ball&apos;s or dart&apos;s path)—are more effective for enhancing motor performance and learning than internal focus (IF) instructions, which focus on body movements (e.g., arm or foot motion). Nonetheless, the impact of visuospatial working memory capacity (WMC) in this context, especially among children, has been less investigated. This research sought to examine the effects of EF compared to IF on the skill acquisition and motor learning of a dart-throwing task among children with both high and low visuospatial WMC. Forty-eight boys aged 9–11 (Mage: 9.67 ± 0.76 years) were grouped by high or low WMC based on spatial span and memory tests, then assigned to receive either EF or IF instructions. The experiment comprised three stages: practice, retention, and two transfer tests, including throwing from a longer distance and a dual-task scenario with added cognitive load (tone counting). Results showed that EF outperformed IF at all stages. While WMC did not affect performance during practice and retention, children with low WMC performed better than those with high WMC during the longer distance test. In dual-task conditions, an EF continued to surpass an IF, whilst the WMC exerted no significant impact. The present findings suggest that an EF relative to an IF promotes more automatic movement and enhanced multitasking, while the impact of visuospatial WMC was less than expected, highlighting the benefits of EF in teaching motor skills to children, regardless of visuospatial WMC.

Název v anglickém jazyce

External versus internal focus enhances motor performance and learning in children with different visuospatial working memory capacities

Popis výsledku anglicky

Research has shown that external focus (EF) instructions—directing attention to intended movement effects (e.g., ball&apos;s or dart&apos;s path)—are more effective for enhancing motor performance and learning than internal focus (IF) instructions, which focus on body movements (e.g., arm or foot motion). Nonetheless, the impact of visuospatial working memory capacity (WMC) in this context, especially among children, has been less investigated. This research sought to examine the effects of EF compared to IF on the skill acquisition and motor learning of a dart-throwing task among children with both high and low visuospatial WMC. Forty-eight boys aged 9–11 (Mage: 9.67 ± 0.76 years) were grouped by high or low WMC based on spatial span and memory tests, then assigned to receive either EF or IF instructions. The experiment comprised three stages: practice, retention, and two transfer tests, including throwing from a longer distance and a dual-task scenario with added cognitive load (tone counting). Results showed that EF outperformed IF at all stages. While WMC did not affect performance during practice and retention, children with low WMC performed better than those with high WMC during the longer distance test. In dual-task conditions, an EF continued to surpass an IF, whilst the WMC exerted no significant impact. The present findings suggest that an EF relative to an IF promotes more automatic movement and enhanced multitasking, while the impact of visuospatial WMC was less than expected, highlighting the benefits of EF in teaching motor skills to children, regardless of visuospatial WMC.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

30306 - Sport and fitness sciences

Projekt

<a href="/cs/project/EH23_025%2F0008686" target="_blank" >EH23_025/0008686: ReDiKid: Odolné dítě v digitálním světě</a><br>

Návaznosti

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

HUMAN MOVEMENT SCIENCE

ISSN

0167-9457

e-ISSN

1872-7646

Svazek periodika

100

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

February

Stát vydavatele periodika

NL - Nizozemsko

Počet stran výsledku

12

Strana od-do

1-12

Kód UT WoS článku

001422902600001

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-85216653826