How Noticing and Attending Relate to Tactical Understanding in a Physical Domain

• In Event: Poster Session 2
  In Poster Session: Motivation and Cognition in Varied Contexts

Abstract

Tactical understanding is key to individual and group success in dynamic environments (e.g., sports) and is associated with the ability to notice and attend to relevant cues quickly and effectively. This exploratory study examined the relation between high-school rugby players’ tactical understanding and the cues that they notice and to which they attend. Participants responded to three scenarios that involved defensive tactical play by generating questions about perceptual cues within the scenario. Participants’ responses were coded using an a priori scheme reflecting levels of sophistication of tactical understanding. Data indicated that participants’ tactical understanding was related to the types of cues about which they posed questions. Implications for both sports specifically and education more broadly will be discussed.

Authors

• Peter Baggetta, University of Maryland

• Patricia A. Alexander, University of Maryland