Exploration of the perceptual-cognitive processes that contribute to in-game decision-making of Australian football umpires
- Authors: Larkin, Paul , Mesagno, Chrisopher , Berry, Jason , Spittle, Michael
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology Vol. 16, no. 2 (2018), p. 112-124
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- Description: Decision-making is fundamental to officiating in all sports. It is well established in contemporary research that decision-making skills underpin umpire expertise; however, there is little understanding of the cognitive processes that contribute to in-game decision-making. This research implemented an in-depth case study approach, using qualitative methods, to explore the in-game decision-making process of three Australian football umpires. Concurrent and retrospective verbalisation methods were used to obtain verbal reports of the cognitive processes associated with decision-making. Findings identified three salient themes related to both in-game decision-making processes (i.e. decision evaluation, player intention during game-play) and umpire performance (i.e. knowledge of game-play). These themes contributed to the development of decision-making heuristics for Australian football umpires. This study provides initial evidence of the factors that may contribute to and/or affect in-game decision-making processes; however, additional exploration is necessary to further inform training programmes aimed to develop domain-specific decision-making skills and subsequent in-game performance. © 2016 International Society of Sport Psychology.
An evaluation of video-based training programs for perceptual-cognitive skill development. A systematic review of current sport-based knowledge
- Authors: Larkin, Paul , Mesagno, Christopher , Spittle, Michael , Berry, Jason
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sport Psychology Vol. 46, no. 6 (2015), p. 555-586
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- Description: In this review we identified sport-based perceptual-cognitive training literature to systematically evaluate current video-based methodologies and their resultant effectiveness to improve perceptual-cognitive performance (i.e., decision-making). A comprehensive literature search of electronic databases from 1994-2013 was conducted to identify relevant studies. We identified 139 articles, of which 25 met all the inclusion criteria. Study design and test measures of the 25 articles were assessed against a classification scale to rate methodological quality. The methodological quality of the 25 studies varied, with quasi-experimental the most common design. Additionally, studies varied in the skill level of participants and the amount of video-based information presented during the training. We conclude that videobased training programs can be used to enhance perceptual-cognitive performance and outline several recommendations for future video-based perceptual-cognitive training programs particularly with respect to the validity and reliability of the instruments used to measure perceptual-cognitive performance.
Developmental influences on the acquisition of tactical decision-making expertise
- Authors: Berry, Jason , Abernethy, Bruce
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Sport Psychology Vol. 40, no. 4, Supplement 1 (2009), p. 525-545
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- Description: The principal purpose of this study was to identify those developmental factors most predictive of adult perceptual and decision-making skill. Qualitative data on developmental experiences and social support were collected from semi-structured interviews of 29 elite Australian Football League (AFL) players, 16 of whom were independently classified by a panel of coaches as expert decision-makers and 13 as less-skilled decision-makers. While high levels of parental support and a fierce desire to win, established from an early age, were evident for all players in the elite sample, the expert decision-makers were more likely to have bad (i) extensive experience of invasion games during their development, (ii) early experience of playing against adults or older children, (iii) playing experience in related sports (especially basketball), and (iv) their father as a coach at some stage during their junior years. The developmental characteristics observed for the expert decision-mak! ers extend quantitative findings on the practice hours of The same cohort (Berry et al., 2008) and indicate that observable differences in decision-making skills amongst adult players, even at an elite level, may be directly linked to each players particular developmental and practice experiences.
The contribution of structured activity and deliberate play to the development of expert perceptual and decision-making skill
- Authors: Berry, Jason , Cote, Jean
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology Vol. 30, no. 6 (2009), p. 685-708
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- Description: The developmental histories of 32 players in the Australian Football League (AFL), independently classified as either expert or less skilled in their perceptual and decision-making skills, were collected through a structured interview process and their year-on-year involvement in structured and deliberate play activities retrospectively determined. Despite being drawn from the same elite level of competition, the expert decision-makers differed from the less skilled in having accrued, during their developing years, more hours of experience in structured activities of all types, in structured activities in invasion-type sports, in invasion-type deliberate play, and in invasion activities from sports other than Australian football. Accumulated hours invested in invasion-type activities differentiated between the groups, suggesting that it is the amount of invasion-type activity that is experienced and not necessarily intent (skill development or fun) or specificity that facilitates the development of perceptual and decision-making expertise in this team sport. © 2008 Human Kinetics, Inc.
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