The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of attentional focus and distance of external focus on the performance of balance task of upper extremity. Subjects (N=30) held a stick (2 m) and maintained it horizontally. All of the subjects performed balance task of upper extremity under four different attentional focus conditions: focus on hand (internal focus), marker at 10 cm inside of hand (external focus 1), marker at 10 cm outside of hand (external focus 2), marker at 20 cm outside of hand (external focus 3). The mean velocity of the bar (mm/s) and the muscle activity of biceps brachii (%RVC) were measured. They were decreased when the subjects focused on external focuses compared to internal focus and decreased as distance of attentional focus from body increased (p<.05). There were significant differences between groups (p<.05); internal focus-external focus 1, internal focus-external focus 2, internal focus-external focus 3, external focus 2-external focus 3. These results showed that external focus is more effective than internal focus in enhancing motor performance and focusing on more distant attentional focus results in enhanced motor performance promoting the utilization of more automatic control mechanisms.

Studies of attentional focus effects, have shown that the performer's attentional focus plays an important role in the performance and learning of motor tasks. We examined the influence of attentional focus on the performance of dual tasks (a postural task and a suprapostural task) and used electromyography (EMG) to examine whether the differences between external and internal focus were also manifest at the neuromuscular level. The subjects (n=40) stood on a balance board (postural task) and held a bar horizontally (suprapostural task). All of the subjects performed under different attentional focus conditions: external (balancer on balance board) or internal (feet) focus on the postural task, and external (balancer on bar) or internal (hand) focus on the suprapostural task. The mean displacement velocity of the bar and the percent reference voluntary contraction (%RVC) of the biceps brachii were reduced when the subjects adopted an external focus on the suprapostural task (p<.05). In addition, the mean displacement velocity of the balance board and %RVC of the tibialis anterior were reduced when the subjects adopted an external focus on the postural task (p<.05). When the subjects adopted an external focus on the suprapostural task, the mean displacement velocity of the balance board and %RVC of the tibialis anterior were also reduced (p<.05). When the subjects' attentional focus was on the postural task, there were no differences in the mean displacement and %RVC of the biceps brachii between attentional focuses. The performance of each task was enhanced when subjects focused on the respective task. The suprapostural task goals had a stronger influence on postural control than vice versa. These results reflect the propensity of the motor system to optimize control processes based on the environmental outcome, or movement effect, that the performer wants to achieve.

목적: 본 연구의 목적은 주의초점 간 맥락간섭이 초보자의 배드민턴 하이클리어 학습에 미치는 영향을 규명하는 것이다. 방법: 배드민턴 초보자 대학생 30명을 내적주의지침만 제시된 불변연습집단, 외적주의지침만 제시된 불변 연습집단, 내/외적주의지침이 무선적으로 제시된 무선연습집단에 무작위로 각각 10명씩 배정하였다. 사전검사, 습득단계, 지연 파지 및 전이검사에서 배드민턴 하이클리어 수행의 절대오차, 가변오차, 전체오차를 계산하였다. 결과: 지연 파지검사결과, 내적주의지침이 제시된 불변연습집단과 무선연습집단은 외적주의지침이 제시된 불변연습 집단보다 정확성이 높은 것으로 나타났다. 성취도에서는 무선연습집단에서 통계적으로 유의한 지연 파지효과가 나타났다. 결론: 초보자의 배드민턴 하이클리어 학습에서 내/외적주의지침을 무선적으로 제시하는 방법이 단일한 주의지침을 반복적으로 제시하는 방법보다 효과적일 수 있으며 맥락간섭을 적용한 주의초점지침이 운동기능학습을 촉진시키는 새로운 주의초점형태로 제시될 수 있다.

목적: 본 연구는 주변시를 통한 시각정보의 이용가능성이 주의초점효과에 미치는 영향을 규명하는 것이다. 방법: 골프 경험이 없는 남/여 대학생 36명을 대상으로 하였으며, 내적주의초점, 외적주의초점, 주변시가 통제된 내적주 의초점, 주변시가 통제된 외적주의초점집단에 무작위로 9명씩 배정되었다. 실험과제는 2m, 3m, 5m 지점에서 최대한 정확하게 목표지점으로 퍼팅을 수행하는 것이다. 결과: 내적주의초점집단에서 퍼팅수행의 정확성 및 일관성이 가장 높은 것으로 나타났다. 주변시 통제에 따른 주의초점조건에서는 수행의 차이가 나타나지 않았으며, 독립 변인 간 상호작용 또한 나타나지 않았다. 결론: 초보자들의 골프퍼팅과제에서는 학습초기에 외적주의초점보다 내 적주의초점형태로 제시되는 주의지침이 동작을 제어하는데 더 적합할 수 있으며 과제거리가 무작위로 제시되는 복잡한 과제에서도 내적주의초점이 보다 효율적인 주의초점형태인 것으로 사료된다.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of attentional focus instructions on movement patterns in a ballet pirouette task. We were also interested on how the effects will apply in different skill levels: professionals and amateurs. Methods: Four amateur dancers (1-3 years of experience) and four professional dancers (more than 9 years of training) participated in this experiment. All were asked to perform a single pirouette turn on the non-dominant(left) side. Each dancers had 5 trials for each of the following three instructions: non-focus instruction (turn as you usually do), internal focus instruction (stretch your standing leg vertically, making a consistent turn-out with the working leg, make your head remain to the front as long as possible), and external focus instruction (push against the ground with your standing leg” and “imagine that your body spirals up to the ceiling”, and “try to keep gazing at a spot until you have to turn your head”). Data were collected with motion analysis systems having 10 cameras. We analyzed the qualitative change in individual movement patterns on each three conditions. Results: Professional dancers did not show any difference from the contrasting instructions. However, the amateur dancers showed varieties according to different focus instructions. For amateur dancers, it was possible that internal focus instructions as well as external focus gave positive effects. Conclusion: In order to apply these research findings, further research is needed with more challenging task in professional dancers. Moreover, individual tendencies on using attentional focus when learning and enhancing dance techniques should be clarified.