Describe and offer strategies to enhance performance of information processing both in practice and competition

AS and A Level Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

Freddie Chatt

Information processing is when a performer receives a stimulus and reacts to this based on senses and memory. The DCR system forms the basis of information processing. DCR stands for detect, compare and react. This is where we detect information then we compare it with other similar information we already have and then we react accordingly to it.

Before a decision is made, the information is taken through senses, this is known as Sensory Input. The sensory information is taken through 3 senses; these are Vision, Audition and Proprioception.

Visual information is taken through the eyes on sight. It is essential in all types of sport (individual, team and racket). We react differently to certain objects, an example is that you react differently to seeing a team mate than you do your opponent. If visual stimuli are bright then the performer reacts quicker. An example of how this is already implemented in a team sport is in cricket, in test matches, a white sight screen is used and a red ball is used. This causes a good contrast and allows the batsman to react quicker which is essential as they often only have a fraction of a second to play a shot against the quicker bowlers. An example of an individual sport where this could be added to improve in practice is that of Skeet shooting. If the clay disks were painted bright colours then the performer would be able to process the information quicker and could train them self to be able to locate the disk quicker and carry that through to the competition. In squash, a racket sport, the current ball colour is generally dark green or black, if this colour was to be made brighter, by using red or blue for example, the competitors could be able to process the information much quicker and be able to move into position ready to play the shoot sooner. Another example of where a team could implement it, is in football. You could make your kit brighter, this would mean that the information is processed quicker and the player with the ball would be more aware of his team-mates on the pitch.

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Auditory information is taken through the ears, its main use is to take communication from team mates or coaches. Audition is also essential in most sports, for the starting gun in sprints or calls from team mates for the ball in football. An example of a racket sport which would benefit from good communication is doubles tennis, if the communication is loud your partner would be able to identify where you are on the court and adjust their position so when combined you cover the whole court. In athletics, specifically sprints, a louder gun at the start would increase the reaction time of the athletes and could lead to overall quicker times. In football, when a player has the ball, a team mate could be calling for it. If this call is loud then the player is more likely to process the information quicker and therefore can make a quicker pass. Although if one there are two players calling for it and one is calling louder than the other then the ball might be passed to a player who isn’t in as good as position as the one not calling as loud.

Proprioception is information given to the body through the position of muscles and other body parts. These body parts also can carry information and help in the processing of information. This is used to maintain balance (equilibrium), this is the awareness of our balance or body positioning, it is how we can feel when we are about to fall over. Kinaesthetic awareness is the feeling of the movement of the body and its parts, an accomplished performer should be able to tell what a movement should feel like and should be able to adjust if it does not feel the way it should. Tactile sense is the feeling of pressure using muscles or other body parts. It allows us to tell whether or not we are touching or controlling an object, an example of this is dribbling in football or basketball as the receptors on your feet and hand would be able to tell if the ball is not where it should be.

Perception is the main and perhaps the most vital stage of information processing. It sorts out the relevant information from the irrelevant information. The irrelevant information is discarded while the relevant information is kept and stored in the memory, an example of this is in any type of sport (racket, individual or team) where the performer discards spectator’s comments and keeps team mates or coaches comments. If a performer is used to hearing the voices of their coach or team mates then the perception stage of information processing could be made quicker because it would have already been stored in the memory.

Memory is separated into two parts, shot term memory (working memory) and long term memory. Short term memory is where the information from perception goes into. The capacity of short term memory is only 7 pieces of information and it is store for only 1-30 seconds before a decision is made using that information. The resulting decision is then stored in the long term memory which has an almost limitless capacity and a lifetime storage. Long term memory includes past experiences and if linked back to muscle memory to determined what the decision was, or what the body is as a result to the stimuli. A way this part of information processing could be sped up is if a particular skill, a cover drive in cricket for example is practiced so many times in becomes stored as a main part of the long term memory so the player can play that shot anytime they think they can.

Information processing can be altered by using different stimuli. We can speed up the process by getting better at sensing the information, by wearing brighter kits in football or using brighter clay disks in Skeet shooting. We can improve the way we perceive the information by ensuring we have team mates or coaches voices in our long term memory. We can improve the decision as a result of information processing by having the skills already stored in the long term memory. The strategies are mainly beneficial to information processing in competition, like brighter kits in football. Although, the strategies that involve the long term memory, for example the voices of team mates, can be used in practice to benefit the performer in competition.

References:

Galligan et al (2000) Advanced PE of Edexcel Heinemann

Morton (1989) Motor Learning: Concepts and Applications William C. Brown

James et al (2003) A-Z physical education handbook Hodder

Hill (2005) Physical Education and Sport: A-level study guide Longman