Acquisition and Performance of Sports Skills: (Wiley SportText)

Acquisition and Performance of Sports Skills provides students with the theoretical and practical background that is necessary for an understanding of the basics of skill acquisition and performance. This understanding is founded on the student's existing knowledge of sport and leads into the subject, using a student centred, problem–solving approach. The first half of the book examines the nature of sports performance and the second skill acquisition. There is a debate among researchers into psychomotor learning: the ecological versus the cognitive approach. Because this book is aimed clearly at students taking a first course in the subject the author includes examples from both schools of thought thus ensuring a balanced approach. looks at skill acquisition firmly within the context of sports performance takes students' practical experience as a starting point then clearly explains the underlying theories presents both cognitive and ecological approaches to the subject to give a balanced view excellent pedagogy including problem–solving tasks, practical experiments and revision notes at the end of chapters Written by an author with many years teaching, research and practical coaching experience, Acquisition and Performance of Sport Skills proves invaluable for students of sport and exercise science taking a first course in skill acquisition, motor learning and/or motor control. This is the second title to appear in the Wiley SportTexts Series that aims to provide textbooks covering the key disciplines within the academic study of sport.

Table of Contents:
Series Preface xi Prologue xiii 1 Skill, Ability and Performance 1 Learning Objectives 1 Introduction 2 Skill 2 Classification of skills 5 Ability 7 The ability–skill interaction 10 Summary 12 Theories of performance 12 Information Processing Theory 13 Ecological psychology theories 17 Conclusion 21 Key points 21 Test your knowledge 25 Part one 25 Part two 27 Additional reading 29 2 Perception 31 Learning Objectives 31 Introduction 32 Information Processing Theory and perception 32 Signal Detection Theory 33 Pattern recognition 36 Selective attention 37 Visual search 41 Individual differences 42 Summary 45 Ecological psychology and perception 45 Criticisms of the ecological approach 50 Summary 50 Conclusion 50 Key points 51 Test your knowledge 55 Part one 55 Part two 59 Additional reading 61 3 Decision Making 63 Learning Objectives 63 Introduction 64 Information Processing Theory and decision making 64 Individual differences 68 Dynamical Systems Theory and goal achievement 69 Research findings and problems with research design 70 Conclusion 73 Implications for coaches and players 73 Key points 74 Test your knowledge 76 Part one 76 Part two 77 Additional reading 78 4 Reaction Time 79 Learning Objectives 79 Introduction 80 Inter- and intra-individual differences 82 Hick–Hyman Law 84 Probability and choice reaction time 85 Psychological refractory period 86 Arousal and reaction time 87 Stimulus and response factors 88 Reaction-time research findings as evidence for Information Processing Theory 91 Key points 91 Test your knowledge 94 Part one 94 Part two 96 Additional reading 97 5 Anticipation 99 Learning Objectives 99 Introduction 100 Interceptive actions 100 Information Processing Theory and interceptive actions 100 Action Systems Theory and interceptive actions 102 Perceptual anticipation 104 Information Processing Theory and perceptual anticipation 104 Ecological psychology and perceptual anticipation 105 Research paradigms in perceptual anticipation 105 Conclusion 110 Key points 110 Test your knowledge 113 Part one 113 Part two 115 Additional reading 116 6 Memory 117 Learning Objectives 117 Introduction 118 Information Processing Theory and memory 118 Sensory information store 118 Short-term memory 119 Short-term motor memory 122 Long-term memory 124 Ecological psychology and attunement to affordances 126 Key points 127 Test your knowledge 130 Part one 130 Part two 132 Additional reading 133 7 Motor Control 135 Learning Objectives 135 Introduction 136 Information Processing Theory and motor control 137 CNS–PNS interaction 137 Efferent organization 143 Ecological psychology and motor control 148 Visual guidance of movement 150 Discussion 152 Key points 155 Test your knowledge 158 Part one 158 Part two 161 Additional reading 162 8 Learning 163 Learning Objectives 163 Introduction 164 Measuring learning 164 Information Processing Theory and learning 169 Instruction 171 Cognitivist theories of learning 174 Dynamical Systems Theory and learning 180 Developmental factors affecting learning 182 Cognitive development 183 Motor development 186 Optimal periods of learning 188 Practical implications 189 Key points 191 Test your knowledge 196 Part one 196 Part two 197 Part three 199 Part four 201 Additional reading 202 9 Practice 203 Learning Objectives 203 Introduction 204 Information Processing Theory and practice 204 Types of practice 204 Transfer of training 211 Feedback 216 Timing and precision of feedback 218 Dynamical Systems Theory and practice 221 Practical implications 224 Key points 228 Test your knowledge 232 Part one 232 Part two 237 Part three 238 Additional reading 239 10 Arousal and Performance 241 Learning Objectives 241 Introduction 242 Inverted-U theories 243 Yerkes–Dodson Theory 243 Easterbook’s cue utilization theory 245 Drive Theory 246 Allocateable Resources Theories 248 Practical implications 249 Warm-up decrement 249 Warm-up 250 Key points 251 Test your knowledge 253 Part one 253 Part two 255 Additional reading 256 11 Conclusion 257 Introduction 257 State of the art 257 Skill 258 Abilities 258 Perception 259 Decision making 259 Reaction time 259 Anticipation 260 Motor control 260 Memory 260 Learning 260 Practice 261 Information Processing Theory versus ecological psychology theories 261 Appendix 1 Writing an Academic Paper 265 Appendix 2 Glossary of Terms Used by Ecological Psychologists 269 Appendix 3 Test Your Knowledge Answers 271 References 287 Index 293

About the Author :
Acquisition and Performance of Sports Skills is the second title to appear in a new series – Wiley SportTexts that aims to provide textbooks covering the key disciplines within the academic study of sport.

Review :
"...invaluable for students of sport...second title in a new series, Wiley SportTexts..." (Chichester Observer, 22 April 2004)