Attention is selective
Focusing on one source of information reduces processing of other sources.
LEARN SPORT PSYCHOLOGY / MODULE 06Attention &
SELECT, SHIFT & RETURN
Attention &
Concentration.
Expert focus is not constant tunnel vision. Athletes must select relevant information, widen or narrow attention as demands change and return quickly after inevitable disruption.
SCANSELECTSHIFTRETURN
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this module, you should be able to:
- Distinguish attention, concentration and attentional control.
- Classify attentional demands by breadth and direction.
- Differentiate internal and external attentional focus during movement.
- Explain distraction and self-focus accounts of performance breakdown.
- Design and evaluate a task-specific refocusing routine.
A LIMITED RESOURCE
Focus means
selecting something.
Attention is the selective allocation of processing resources. Concentration is the ability to sustain or deliberately redirect that attention toward the demands of the task.
AVAILABLE INFORMATIONMany internal and external cues→SELECTIVE ATTENTIONPrioritise relevant information→ACTIONPerceive, decide and execute
Because attentional capacity is limited, effective performance involves both selection and inhibition: noticing what matters and resisting what does not.
Attention is flexible
The appropriate focus changes across preparation, perception, decision and execution.
Attention can be captured
Novel, emotional and threat-related cues can draw focus away from the intended task.
Attention can be trained
Routines, cue recognition and representative practice can strengthen attentional control.
BREADTH × DIRECTION
Four attentional
positions.
Nideffer’s framework organises attention by width—broad or narrow—and direction—internal or external. These are task positions, not permanent personality boxes.
BROAD
NARROW
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL
Broad–external
Scan many environmental cuesA football midfielder checks teammates, opponents and available space before receiving.
Narrow–external
Select one or two environmental cuesA batter tracks the bowler’s hand and release point.
Broad–internal
Review several thoughts, feelings or strategic optionsA coach reflects on team shape, fatigue and tactical alternatives during a break.
Narrow–internal
Attend to one internal cue or responseA sprinter notices breathing and uses one cue before entering the blocks.
THE PERFORMANCE DEMAND
Use the right focus
at the right moment.
Broad–external
Scan positioning, space, score and opponent cues.
Narrow–external
Select the most relevant cue and action opportunity.
Task cue
Commit to a simple external or holistic process focus.
Brief internal review
Notice, learn and deliberately return to the environment.
INTERNAL VS EXTERNAL MOVEMENT FOCUS
Attend to the movement—or
its intended effect?
Body movement
Attention directed toward the performer’s body or movement components.
Movement effect
Attention directed toward the intended effect of the movement on the environment.
External-focus instructions often benefit motor performance and learning, but cue effectiveness still depends on the athlete, task, learning stage and wording. Internal information may remain useful for pain, safety, awareness or deliberate technical change.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Attention shapes
efficiency and execution.
External-focus advantage
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have generally reported better motor performance and learning with external rather than internal focus instructions.
Chua et al. (2021) ↗Anxiety taxes control
Attentional Control Theory proposes that anxiety increases stimulus-driven influence and can reduce inhibition and flexible shifting, even when extra effort protects performance quality.
Eysenck et al. (2007) ↗Two choking pathways
Pressure may disrupt performance through distraction by worry or through excessive conscious monitoring of normally automated movement.
Gröpel & Mesagno (2019) ↗DISTRACTION AUDIT
Where did attention go?
Not every distraction should be ignored. Some unexpected cues contain important performance information. The issue is whether attention is allocated deliberately and functionally.
Crowd noise · officials · opponent behaviour · scoreboard · weather · phone or media
Identify whether the cue contains task information; screen out or incorporate accordingly.
Worry · fatigue sensations · previous error · outcome thinking · technical over-analysis
Acknowledge briefly, then direct attention toward the next relevant external or process cue.
PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE
Distraction or
over-control?
“Choking” should not be used for every error. It refers to a meaningful performance decline under pressure relative to demonstrated capability.
Attention leaves the task
Worry, consequences or threat-related cues occupy limited resources needed for perception and decision-making.
Useful responseExternal task cue, pre-performance routine, acceptance of intrusive thoughts and simplified decision priorities.
Attention enters automated control
The performer consciously monitors and controls movement processes that ordinarily run efficiently with limited conscious involvement.
Useful responseHolistic cue, external movement effect, rhythmic focus and representative pressure practice.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO APPLICATION
Focus on information
that changes action.
These cases distinguish relevant scanning from distraction and attentional flexibility from constant narrow focus.
Reading spin at Queen’s Park Oval
The batter becomes preoccupied with the close fielders’ comments and stops picking up release cues.
- Required focus
- Narrow–external attention to the bowler’s hand, release and early ball flight.
- Refocus cue
- Step away, exhale, identify “hand,” return to stance and commit.
Scanning before receiving
The player watches only the approaching ball and is repeatedly surprised by pressure from behind.
- Required focus
- Broad–external scan before the pass, then narrow focus for first touch and action.
- Training design
- Representative small-sided practice that rewards pre-reception scanning and rapid choice.
APPLIED TOOL
Build a refocusing
routine.
Recognise
Notice the behavioural sign that attention has drifted: rushed action, frozen posture, repeated error or outcome fixation.
Release
Use a brief physical reset or exhale to mark the end of the previous event.
Reorient
Identify one external source of information that matters now.
Respond
Use a concise task cue linked to the immediate action.
Review later
Analyse patterns after performance rather than attempting full technical diagnosis during execution.
FOCUS PLAN
BEFOREWhat must I notice?→DURINGWhat single cue guides action?→AFTER ERRORHow will I release and return?→BETWEEN PLAYSWhat can be reviewed safely?
CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Select, shift and return.
Why is concentration not equivalent to maintaining a narrow focus continuously?
Give one sport example for each of the four breadth–direction combinations.
Distinguish an internal movement focus from an external movement-effect focus.
How would your response differ if pressure disrupted an athlete through worry rather than excessive technical monitoring?
FOUNDATIONAL READING
Sources behind
the module.
- Nideffer, R. M. (1976). Test of attentional and interpersonal style. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 394–404.
- Moran, A. P. (2016). The psychology of concentration in sport performers: A cognitive analysis. Psychology Press.
- Eysenck, M. W., Derakshan, N., Santos, R., & Calvo, M. G. (2007). Anxiety and cognitive performance: Attentional Control Theory. Emotion, 7, 336–353.
- Wulf, G. (2013). Attentional focus and motor learning: A review of 15 years. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 6, 77–104.
- Chua, L. K., Jiménez-Díaz, J., Lewthwaite, R., Kim, T., & Wulf, G. (2021). Superiority of external attentional focus for motor performance and learning: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Psychological Bulletin, 147, 618–645.
- Gröpel, P., & Mesagno, C. (2019). Choking interventions in sports: A systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12, 176–201.
READ · CONNECT · APPLY
A closer look at the concept.
Original teaching guide · Caribbean application · linked research
Returning attention to the next play
Build an attentional cue around information the athlete needs, then evaluate its use in context.
Read the article →ORIGINAL TEACHING REELS
Watch the theory. Question the claim.
Short visual explanations by Dr. Marlon Melville. Use the research and limits beside each reel as you reflect.
Attentional Control Theory
Under pressure, anxiety can make it harder to keep attention on what matters. Attentional Control Theory proposes that goal-directed control becomes less efficient while distractions and perceived threats gain influence. A tennis player refocusing after a disputed call illustrates the idea: performance may remain steady, but focus can demand more effort.
Limit: This framework does not predict that every anxious athlete will perform poorly. The tennis example is illustrative, not a locally validated study.
Reflect: After a distraction, what task-relevant cue helps you return attention to the next point?
Research: Eysenck et al. (2007), Emotion ↗ · Wilson, Vine and Wood (2009), JSEP ↗
Read the teaching transcript
Why can anxiety make it harder to focus in sport? Attentional Control Theory describes two influences on attention. Goal-directed attention helps us focus on the task. Stimulus-driven attention responds to what captures our attention. When we’re anxious, goal-directed control can weaken, while stimulus-driven attention gains influence, making distractions and perceived threats more likely to capture our attention. Imagine a tennis player preparing to serve. When she’s anxious, stimulus-driven attention can gain influence, allowing crowd noise or fear of double-faulting to pull her attention away from her chosen target. She may still serve well, but need greater mental effort to stay focused. Athletes, practise managing anxiety and bringing your attention back to the task. Focus on what matters for your next action.
Conscious Processing Hypothesis
A well-practised movement can become awkward when pressure prompts step-by-step control. The Conscious Processing Hypothesis proposes that consciously managing an automated skill can disrupt coordination. The swimmer in this reel is an illustrative example.
Limit: This is one possible explanation for performance breakdown, not a diagnosis. Effects depend on skill proficiency and task demands; attention to technique can support learning.
Reflect: Which familiar cue could help you perform the whole movement without checking each part?
Research: Masters (1992), British Journal of Psychology ↗ · Beilock et al. (2002), JEPA ↗
Read the video transcript
Why can a skill you’ve mastered suddenly feel awkward under pressure? The Conscious Processing Hypothesis offers one explanation. Imagine an experienced swimmer in Trinidad and Tobago, poised on the starting blocks. She has practised this start thousands of times. But under pressure, she starts consciously controlling each part of her familiar start: how she pushes off, extends her body and brings her arms into position. Instead of allowing the well-practised movement to flow, she attempts to manage it step by step. That extra conscious control can disrupt her coordination. This doesn’t mean thinking is bad. Attention to technique can help when learning. The concern is overcontrolling a familiar skill during performance. Athletes, practise your routine under pressure. Return to a familiar cue, rather than a checklist of movements. Follow Dr Marlon Melville for more sport and performance psychology.
FURTHER VIEWING · EXTERNAL
Why we choke under pressure — and how to avoid it
Sian Leah Beilock · TEDMED
Use this talk to analyse attention under pressure. It also appears in the anxiety module, where the viewing questions focus on interpretation.
Watch on TED ↗
Opens the provider’s video page in a new tab. Playback and captions are controlled by the provider.
Set your question
Name the information the receiver needs at the next serve.
Examine the explanation
Identify a proposed explanation of how pressure interferes with performance. Does it concern distraction, excessive monitoring or another process?
Apply it here
Explain what you would need to observe before deciding that this explanation fits the receiver.
Compare your response with the teaching notes
Do not infer a mechanism from a mistake alone. Combine the athlete's account with the timing and demands of the task, and test whether the selected cue directs attention appropriately.
Curated external video; the speakers and providers retain their content. No video loads automatically. Source pages checked 16 September 2026. Continue to the interactive activity ↓
PRACTISE THE CONCEPT
Find the next relevant cue
Map what attention is doing, select useful information and practise returning after distraction.
15–20 minutes suggested
Self-study · no grade or certificate
Self-study · no grade or certificate
FICTIONAL CARIBBEAN TEACHING CASE
Start with the sporting situation.
A fictional Tobago volleyball receiver keeps replaying a disputed call while the next server prepares. The player hears the crowd but misses the server's contact. The coach wants a cue that returns attention to the next reception without overloading the player with instructions.
Your learning goal: Distinguish distraction from task-relevant information and choose a cue whose function can be observed.
Evidence, with context
Attentional-control theory explains how anxiety can affect attention. Research on attentional focus also supports examining the information a cue directs athletes toward. Evidence about movement focus does not mean every internal sensation or technical instruction is always unhelpful.
This fictional cue must be checked against the receiver's skill and tactical task. A concentration exercise cannot remove every distraction or guarantee a successful reception.
Check your understanding
0 of 3 questions checkedFROM UNDERSTANDING TO APPLICATION
Your practice plan
Use a fictional or non-identifying example. Do not enter confidential or clinical information. Saving is optional and stays in this browser.
Open a printable blank worksheet ↗Teaching collection: Dr. Marlon Melville
Activity updated 16 September 2026 · Privacy & saved work
NEXT MODULEChimp–Human–ComputerOpen module →