{"title":"Toward an explanation of continuous improvement in expert athletes: The role of consciousness in deliberate practice","authors":"J. Toner, A. Moran","doi":"10.7352/IJSP.2015.46.666","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"In a body of research spanning three decades, Janet Starkes and her colleagues have produced a wealth of empirical evidence on the importance of deliberate practice in the development of elite performers. Within this corpus of work, a number of studies have alluded to the important role that self-focused attention plays in helping skilled athletes to refine inefficient movements during deliberate practice. Unfortunately, these studies have largely under-represented the role that somatic awareness plays in facilitating further improvement amongst sports performers who have already achieved elite status. In seeking to address this issue of continuous improvement in elite athletes, the current paper marshals evidence to suggest that reflective somatic awareness plays an important role in the practice activities of elite performers. In particular, we argue that such awareness enables elite athletes to consciously and deliberately improve their movement proficiency. More generally, we propose that Shusterman’s (2008) theory of “somaesthetic awareness” offers expertise researchers a potentially fruitful theoretical framework for future research on skill advancement at the elite level of sport.","PeriodicalId":54940,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Sport Psychology","volume":"46 1","pages":"666-675"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2020-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"5","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Sport Psychology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.7352/IJSP.2015.46.666","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"HOSPITALITY, LEISURE, SPORT & TOURISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 5
Abstract
In a body of research spanning three decades, Janet Starkes and her colleagues have produced a wealth of empirical evidence on the importance of deliberate practice in the development of elite performers. Within this corpus of work, a number of studies have alluded to the important role that self-focused attention plays in helping skilled athletes to refine inefficient movements during deliberate practice. Unfortunately, these studies have largely under-represented the role that somatic awareness plays in facilitating further improvement amongst sports performers who have already achieved elite status. In seeking to address this issue of continuous improvement in elite athletes, the current paper marshals evidence to suggest that reflective somatic awareness plays an important role in the practice activities of elite performers. In particular, we argue that such awareness enables elite athletes to consciously and deliberately improve their movement proficiency. More generally, we propose that Shusterman’s (2008) theory of “somaesthetic awareness” offers expertise researchers a potentially fruitful theoretical framework for future research on skill advancement at the elite level of sport.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Sport Psychology publishes empirical and theoretical contributions in the human movement sciences from all over the world. Manuscripts related to psychology, sport pedagogy, exercise and sport performance are suited to the Journal''s scope.
IJSP''s aims are to disseminate results of rigorous and relevant studies, to expose positions and commentaries regarding the development of theory and confirmation or contradiction of previous findings. IJSP entertains various methodologies encompassing coherence among epistemology, research questions, tools, statistical or clinical analyses and discussion or potential applications. Qualitative and quantitative analyses as well as case studies are of interest when appropriately used. IJSP is comprised of the following sections related to human movement sciences:
-Motor learning and control
-Cognition
-Health and exercise
-Social psychology
-Intervention / Clinical / counseling psychology