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- Title
Increases in jump-and-reach height through an external focus of attention.
- Authors
Wulf, Gabriele; Granados, Carolina; Dufek, Janet
- Abstract
The present study examined whether the previously found benefits of an external focus of attention (i.e., focusing on the movement effect), relative to an internal focus (i.e., focusing on one's body movements) and control conditions, would generalize to a vertical jump-and-reach task. A Vertec measurement device was used to determine jump-and-reach height. In the experiment, participants performed the task under three conditions in a within-participant design: external focus (i.e., focus on the rungs of the Vertec that were to be touched), internal focus (i.e., focus on the finger, with which the rungs were to be touched), and control conditions (i.e., focus on jumping as high as possible). The results showed that participants' jump-and-reach height was greatest with an external focus, compared with the other two conditions. In addition, vertical displacement of the center of mass was greatest under the external focus condition. That is, participants produced greater forces when they adopted an external focus. These findings suggest that the benefits of an external focus generalize to tasks requiring maximal force production.
- Subjects
JUMPING; ATTENTION research; JUMP &; reach tests; MOTOR ability research; PSYCHOLOGY of movement; HUMAN mechanics research; CENTER of mass
- Publication
Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 2007, Vol 29, pS141
- ISSN
0895-2779
- Publication type
Article