The Influence of External Focus Instruction Characteristics on Children's Motor Performance

• Published in: Research quarterly for exercise and sport Vol. 89; no. 4; pp. 418 - 428
• Main Authors: Marchant, David C., Griffiths, Gillian, Partridge, Julie A., Belsley, Leah, Porter, Jared M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 02.10.2018
• Subjects: Attention Control; Control Groups; Elementary School Students; External focus; jumping; motor control; Motor Development; Physical Activities; Psychomotor Skills; Student Motivation; Task Analysis; Teaching Methods; Verbal Communication; External focus; jumping; motor control
• ISSN: 0270-1367; 2168-3824
• DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2018.1512075

Purpose: Research has demonstrated that verbal instructions directing attention externally (i.e., toward the effect of the movement) significantly enhance motor skill performance, and this effect is enhanced when the distance of the external focus relative to the body is increased. However, few studies have investigated this distance-of-focus effect in children. The present study aimed to examine the effect of increasing the distance of an external focus on children's motor performance in 2 experiments. Method: In Experiment 1, children performed standing long jumps under 3 instructional conditions (control, internal attentional focus, and external attentional focus). In Experiment 2, children performed standing long jumps under 4 instructional conditions (control, internal, proximal external attentional focus, and distal external attentional focus). Results: In Experiment 1, results revealed a statistically significant jump distance advantage for the external focus condition. In Experiment 2, a statistically significant jump distance advantage for the distal external focus condition was found. However, instructional and task characteristics beyond distance of focus may have been influential. Conclusions: External focus instructions benefit children's jump performance, but specifically when they are supported by a concrete movement goal reflecting relevant performance criteria. These findings highlight the importance of examining the content of instructions and relevant task characteristics provided to children beyond attentional focus to consider their motivational characteristics.