Cognitive psychology in sport

Progress and prospects

Cognitive sport significant for others

There has been a recent upsurge of research interest in cognitive sport psychology or the scientific study of mental processes (e.g., mental imagery) in athletes.

Despite this interest, an important question has been neglected.

Specifically, is research on cognitive processes in athletes influential outside sport psychology, in the “parent” field of cognitive psychology or in the newer discipline of cognitive neuroscience?

Sport is a natural laboratory for cognitive research

It has been proven that cognitive sport psychology has contributed significantly to theoretical understanding of certain mental processes studied in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience.

It also shows that neuroscientific research on motor imagery can benefit from increased collaboration with cognitive sport psychology.

Overall, the conclusions are that the domain of sport offers cognitive researchers a rich and dynamic natural laboratory in which to study how the mind works.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy - CBT

After a decade of successful treatment with clients in the national professional sport arena, clients have found CBT extremely effective, and have given them a distinct motivational edge in the following areas:

• Improved concentration on set goals. • Improved motivation to win. • Improved self-control/and self discipline. • Improved self-esteem and self belief. • Improved self understanding and self awareness. • Improved time-management. • Improved work-life balance. • Improved stamina in training. • Improved ability to recuperate after training. • Improved mind-set, and mental attitude.

CBT in Sports Psychology

The increased self-understanding using CBT in Sport Psychology begins by understanding the relationship between how you think - how you feel - and how this effects what you actually do.

Negative thoughts about oneself - the world in general - or the future can cause a division between the actual sport performance, and the way you observe and analyze your game.

CBT in Sports Psychology

CBT is used to increase the unity of the observing and participating self by challenging negative self-talk and providing more balanced reality-tested alternatives.

Techniques to improve Mindfulness developed into use in a sport setting teach clients to 'let thoughts' be, and dissociate themselves from sensory input which is a distraction from their 'single focus' of the goal in hand.

Visualization and imagery techniques are used to rehearse the desired aim, statistically, it is shown that those people who visualize the end they hope to achieve are twice as likely to succeed as those who are non-visualizers.

Specific breathing techniques are used both for sensory impression management and to practice moving between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. This is an effective aid in shifting from low arousal, goal within goal thinking associated with the left brain hemisphere to a high arousal process orientated, 'take it as it comes' right brain hemisphere.

To be wholehearted, single-minded and present focused to sustain for that pre-planned delivery as a constant throughout the entire match with the most effective use of physical energy and motivation is the goal of CBT training.

CBT in Sports Psychology

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is the one treatment modality for a broad range of psychological, emotional or relationship problems which can be effectively treated.

This service does not have any geographical restrictions and can be used anywhere.

The proven effectiveness of these diverse mediums lies in a treatment style which has as its basis 'corrective teaching experiences'.

How can Cognitive - Behavioral Therapy help you?

• Change negative thinking patterns which keep you from fulfilling your life goals.• Become more in control of your life rather than feeling powerless to change.• Develop better self-esteem and self-confidence.• Raise self-awareness, and gain a clearer sense of direction.• Learn state of the art, social, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills

CBT in Sports Psychology

Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a system of psychotherapy that attempts to reduce excessive emotional reactions and self-defeating behaviour by modifying the faulty or erroneous thinking and maladaptive beliefs that underlie these reactions (Beck, Rush, Shaw & Emery, 1979).

Based on the premise that maladaptive behaviour and emotion is “cognitively mediated” (Butler, Chapman, Forman & Beck, 2006), CBT has elicited much interest in the treatment of psychological problems both in and outside the realm of sport.

Evolving from a combination of behavioural-based (Wolpe, 1958; Skinner 1957) and cognitive-based approaches (Beck, 1970; Ellis, 1962), CBT emerged as a major form of psychology in the “cognitive revolution” of the 1970s (Dember, 1974).

Assembled into a single coherent framework, the concepts of CBT offered a new and improved approach to understanding the complex reciprocal interactions between cognition, emotion, physical reactions and behaviour.

Specifically, the framework proposes that psychological disorders stem from the interaction of these four systems (McArdle & Moore, 2012), with environmental factors (e.g. social and cultural contexts) playing an influential role within these interactions.

CBT in Sports Psychology

This highlights that when choosing interventions for athletes with specific problems, CBT practitioners should always consider the following: what treatment is most effective for this individual with that specific problem, and under which set of circumstances? (Paul, 1967, p. 111).

Cognition

Cognition is essentially the mental function of gathering knowledge and processing it into usable data – thinking, knowing remembering, judging and problem solving.

Cognitive abilities as applied to athletes and sports are used to track player and ball/puck movements, see the playing field with a wide range of vision, anticipate the movements of opponents, recognize patterns, develop strategic awareness and make fast and efficient decisions.

Neurophysicist Dr. Jocelyn Faubert of the University of Montreal said, “Though the term ‘perceptual-cognitive skill’ sounds complicated, it simply refers to how well you see movement in dense environments common in fast-moving team sports like football or ice hockey.”

Training and beyond

Good training is about identifying the abilities needed to perform at a high level and then developing ways to improve those abilities.

We have already identified ways to improve many capabilities needed for athletic success, including but not limited to: • cardiovascular capacity, • strength, • speed, • balance, • flexibility, • specialized skill based on sport, • motor control, • healing and recovery capacity, and yes even • mental intangibles like confidence and determination.

Now we’re onto the next frontier. Scientists have identified another ability needed for elite athletic performance: perceptual-cognitive ability.

Perceptual-Cognitive Training of Athletes

Dr. Faubert’s ground-breaking piece on the subject, Perceptual-Cognitive Training of Athletes, was published in 2012 by the Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology.

Specifically, the paper aims to identify what is needed for optimal cognitive perception and then discuss possible training methods to improve those abilities in high-level athletes.

The paper does not speak about athletes in general, but more about the differences between “elite” athletes (e.g. professionals) and “sub-elite” (e.g. high level amateurs). How do the perceptual-cognitive abilities of an undrafted college quarterback compare to Tom Brady’s?

If they are lower, could he train to make them better?

And finally, is that difference in cognitive ability a key difference between the two athletes in terms of performance?

More research is needed, but Faubert suggests that what sets an elite athlete apart from sub-elite might be

“the ability to process relevant perceptual cues and enhance search strategies.”

Perceptual-Cognitive Training of Athletes

The general trend for training athletes has been centered on repetition of motor functions – so, practice.

Think about this. To decrease his likelihood of making an error in the field, a shortstop might take 100 ground balls before every game.

However, the idea behind perceptual-cognitive training is that by increasing these abilities, a player will feel less overwhelmed by the quickness and stress of a game situation.

He will feel more at ease because he has developed the capacity to more efficiently process the movement and speed of the ball.

Therefore, the play will seem less difficult and errors will become less likely.

Multiple Object Tracking (MOT)

The first ability that training aims to improve is multiple object tracking (MOT).

As an example, a soccer goalie must track the ball, opponents and his teammates at the same time.

The better he can track multiple quick and complicated movements simultaneously, the higher his level of play will become and the more effective his decision making.

If you could train yourself to be better at MOT, wouldn’t you?

Ideal Training Tools

In addition to MOT, Faubert identified three other features that make up an ideal training tool:

• a large visual field,

• increasing speed thresholds and

• stereoscopy (creating a 3D environment with varying depth).

Ideal Training Tools

In addition to MOT, Faubert identified three other features that make up an ideal training tool:

• a large visual field,

• increasing speed thresholds and

• stereoscopy (creating a 3D environment with varying depth).

Evolving MOT

A form of assessment and training evolved from standard MOT testing.

The standard test started with showing a test subject multiple spheres. • Four of the spheres became outlined for a moment before returning to their original form. • Then all spheres would begin to move around, changing trajectory and often colliding with

one another. • At the end of the sequence, the subject would be asked to identify which of the four spheres

had been previously outlined.

Think, finding the ball under moving cups, but in this case there are multiple balls under multiple cups.

What Faubert was able to do next was expand this basic MOT training to include the other three features of his ideal training tool. To expand the visual field, the participant was asked to centralize his/her focus just on one specific light while also trying to pay attention to other movements happening around the light without diverting his/her eyes. So much of what happens on a playing field happens in an athlete’s periphery. It is essential not just to have a wide range of vision, but also to be able to process what is happening in that field quickly.

Evolving MOT

Standard MOT testing only included the spheres moving at a single speed – very unlike team sports.

To account for the prominent element of speed in athletic competition, Faubert added variance in velocity to the movement of the spheres.

This caused not only a difference in speed, but also more collisions for the subject to track – very much like team sports.

Finally, Faubert’s paper cites depth perception as a possible “inherent property of visual processing.”

If this is the case, then adding a 3D component should assist a subject engaged in MOT testing.

This is another layer that can improve performance in the test, and of course, team sports are played in the 3D world.

Training sessions

Training should consist of short sessions – just a few minutes each.

In addition, study participants sitting down showed better test results as opposed to subjects who stood up during the test.

This indicates a link between balance and cognitive performance. Standing should therefore be implemented, thus making the training more challenging and ultimately more effective.

Faubert conducted study with high-level athletes in a lab setting. The initial results showed that athletes gained perceptual-cognitive abilities of 50 percent with these training methods.

Theoretically, these trainees can now track the movements of more objects, use less time and energy to do that tracking and finally do all this without compromising awareness of their other surroundings.

Cognitive Training systems

• CogniSens Athletics, has developed a training product called NeuroTracker

• BrainWare Safari

• AXON Sports

• Former Nike innovator Erez Morag has recently started his own company, Acceler8, that specializes in the development of cognitive training techniques for athletes.

You’re coaching the brain.

To date, cognitive testing and training products have been used by the European Premier League, the National Hockey League, international rugby, Division I NCAA football and the National Football League.

Cognitive Training: The Final Frontier for Athletes

Stig-Arne Kristoffersen

Neurotrainerhttp://www.VAP4U.eu