``Today, I just felt tired. It was a long flight from Paris and I didn't get any sleep last night.
``But I feel that it's my record and I want it back.''
(Maurice Green-http://www.asahi.com/english/sports/K2002091700445.html)
Extrinsic feedback
Another word for this is augmented feedback. Coaches, personal trainers and teachers provide feedback, it is an external source of information on ones actions or techniques. Extrinsic feedback branches off into Knowledge of Performance (KP) and Knowledge of Results (KR).
“With my back to the goal and the defender behind me, I received the ball but at a glance I realised the defender was to my right, so I quickly whipped the ball to my left and sliced it across the net.”
Knowledge of performance (KP)
This provides information on how an action/ technique was performed, either well or poorly. It can be provided verbally by a coach or visually by video. The athlete will develop a kinaesthetic reference for the correct movement. For example, a sprinters action.
Knowledge of Results (KR)
The information consisting of the end results to determine whether an action is performed well. However, there can always be room for improvements, e.g. sprinters time at 100m.
Types of feedback:
- Concurrent: This is an ongoing source of instructions directed at the athlete whilst they are performing. It encourages the performer to change their technique whilst practising. This way the athlete can begin to feel the correct action and become more comfortable with it.
- Terminal: This occurs after the action or performance, to allow the athlete what was right, wrong and improvements pointed out.
- Delayed: Excellent after a strenuous match. This is giving the athlete time to think about their performance, feedback is given in time-“delayed”.
- Positive: Praising the athlete for their actions, hopefully repeating it in the future.
- Negative: giving this type of feedback informs the athlete they are doing something wrong, following it should be constructive criticism for improvement to follow.
- Verbal: This is speech, talking to the athlete.
- Visual: This can be provided in the method of videos to clearly illustrate and pick out ways for improvement. This is an excellent source as the athlete can see their actions rather than being told about it.
- Summative: This is when information is given at the end of a session/performance. The coach summarises the areas of improvement or wrong actions.
The four possible functions of feedback are to provide:
- Motivation
- Information
- Dependence
Motivation aims to increase the athletes confidence to achieve the goals set for themselves.
Reinforcement follows either a negative or positve comment to repeat the correct skill or avoid the incorrect skil in the future.
Informing an athlete can be vital. It allows the performer to know how why they are doing a skill right or wrong. However, too much coaching can result in dependence. The athlete becomes less confident and tends to rely too much on the instructor.
