20C – The Ecological Approach to Perception-Action & Implications for Skill Acquisition What are the key ideas of the ecological approach to perception-action first proposed by James Gibson? How do they differ from the traditional approach? What are affordances? Are representations and internal models evil? Does perception work like Sherlock Holmes? Download link Key Points…

Is there any validity to the long-held belief by many athletes and coaches that having sex the night before a big competition will impair sports performance? Should you be abstaining this Valentine’s Day if you have to play the next day? Download link Articles: Abstention from sex and other pre-game rituals used by college male…

20A A discussion with Barbara Barclay, President of Right Eye, a company developing products to measure, analyze and transform visual performance. We discuss topics including the present and future of eye tracking for sport, how visual problems might underlie what seem to be complex performance problems, the FTC rulings against perceptual-cognitive training and plasticity in…

20 Exploration of ways in which an athlete can develop and enhance their sports skills without actually performing them: by using imagery and observational learning. Does mentally rehearsing or imaging yourself performing an action really make you a better athlete? Can it sometimes be a bad thing to do? What is going on in our…

19E A little football science to get you ready for the big game on Sunday! How does a QB lead a receiver, how does the receiver using visual information to run to the ball and how good are officials at judging pass interference calls? Download link Articles/links: To see or not to see: Effects of…

19D A discussion with Michael Grey, Reader in Motor Neuroscience and Director of the Neuroplasticity & Neurorehabilitation Lab at the University of Birmingham. We discuss topics including neuroplasticity, applying brain stimulation to sports, the similarities between neurorehabilitation and skill acquisition, and share our thoughts on the recent Will Smith movie Concussion. Download link More information…

19C News: Does using our dorsal visual stream during the control of action make us color blind? When we improve after visual perception training is it really perception that is improved? Download link Articles: Color perception is impaired in baseball batters while performing an interceptive action Behavioral training to improve collision detection More information: My…

19B My review of the book “This is Your Brain on Sports: Beating Blocks, Slumps & Performance Anxiety”. How are past injuries and performance failures related to an athlete’s current struggles. Is Brain Spotting the key to preventing choking, the yips and freezing behavior in athletes? Download link Link: http://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Sports-Performance/dp/1608448649 More information: My Research Gate…

19A A discussion with Jennifer Cumming, University of Birmingham. We discuss topics including imagery use and observational learning in athletes, mental skills training, tools for assessing the psychological abilities of athletes, and using sports psychology to help homeless kids. Download link More information about my guest: http://jennifercumming.com/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jennifer_Cumming http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/sportex/cumming-jennifer.aspx https://twitter.com/drjenncumming More information: My Research Gate…

19 What processes occur during the times when an athlete is not on the field or court, that is there off-time between practices and competitions. How important are these rest periods for learning sports skills? Does it matter what an athlete does during these periods? Could doing something like playing video games possibly interfere with…