40 Why do we have two eyes? Is binocular vision necessary for successful performance of motor actions like those involved in sports and driving? Or is it just redundant information? What is it like to live with just one eye? Download link Articles/links: Binocular Vision and Stereopsis The visual and driving performance of monocular and…
Read More
39B Which is better: specific or variable practice? How does it depend on what you are trying to achieve in terms of retention and transfer of skill? The ultramarathon as a complex system and my report on surviving my first one! Download link Articles/links: A sensorimotor basis for motor learning: evidence indicating specificity of practice…
Read More
39A Is fear in a performer a debilitating problem that must be overcome? Or can freezing from fear actually improve our ability to perceive and act? Download link Articles: Ready and waiting: Freezing as active action preparation under threat Simulated self-motion alters perceived time to collision Freezing promotes perception of coarse visual features Seeing fearful…
Read More
39 A look at perceptual-motor development from the ecological perspective. If it’s not preprogrammed by our genetics, how does a child’s pattern of movements emerge from the dynamical constraints of their environment? And how does movement shape perceptual discovery? Download link Articles/links: Motor Development: A New Synthesis Infant bouncing: The assembly and tuning of action…
Read More
38A A discussion Andrew Wilson from Leeds Beckett. We discuss ecological psychology ideas like motor abundance, functional equivalence and degeneracy, Andrew’s recent study on task dynamics and information in throwing, his work on affordances and throwing prehistoric stones, and the current and future state of the ecological approach. Download link More information about my guest:…
Read More
38 A look at perceptual-motor development from an information processing, stage-based perspective. What is the relative importance of genetics and early experience? Are their critical periods in which perceptual and motor skills must develop? What is an efference copy? Download link Articles/links: What Is Motor Development? The Lessons of History Infancy and Human Growth Effects…
Read More
37D Thinking aloud about some sports science issues as I prepare for my first 50K ultra. What is the optimal focus of attention for a runner and how does it change as you switch from road to trail? How can one best acquire the skill of downhill running? Does it depend on where you look?…
Read More
37C A discussion with Kylie Steel Senior Lecturer in the School of Science and Health at Western Sydney University in Australia. In the interview we discuss biological motion: what is it and how can we apply it to sport, how important is it to be able to quickly recognize a teammate on the field or…
Read More
37B What is stereotype threat and how can it affect sports performance? Is it possible that being challenged by a statement like “girls can’t play sports” could make a female athlete perform better in some situations? Download link Articles: On the causal mechanisms of stereotype threat: can skills that don’t rely heavily on working memory…
Read More
37A A discussion with Joe Baker, Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University in Canada. Topics include: how good are we at identifying talent, early specialization vs diversification, designing effective learning environments, retention and transfer of sports skills, and are sports good for our long term health? Download link More…
Read More