Perception and Action in Sport
Understanding how perceptual based information influences our decisions about when and how to act in a sporting context
Our approach to studying decision making in sport breaks from convention. To try and study the dynamics of decision-making, namely how perceptual based information influences our decisions about when and how to act, we are using immersive, interactive virtual reality. This allows us to simulate real-life scenarios that are fully immersive and interactive yet allow us to precisely control the information presented in the environment. By recording the behavioural responses of the players in real time as an event unfolds we can see how perception influences decisions about when and how to act.These developments have allowed us to study deceptive movement in rugby (PhD Sebastien Brault), judging the passability of a gap between two defenders (PhD Gareth Watson) and online decision making (PhD Vanda Correia). Ulster Rugby have provided invaluable support for this work in giving us access to elite players so that we can also study the effects of expertise.
We are also continuing to look at curved free kicks in soccer, focusing on how ball trajectory influences movement and strategies that experts use to intercept such balls.
Related publications:
Expert players accurately detect an opponent’s movement intentions through sound alone.
Campanogara, I., Rodger, M., Craig, C. & Cesari, P. (2017). Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 43, 348–359.
Perception and Action in Soccer
Understanding how perceptual based information influences decisions in soccer.
The Lab has produced a wide range of research material on perxeption and action in soccer ranging across a wide range of aspects of the game Included below are the abstracts of some of the articles produced.
Related publications:
Perception and Action in Rugby
Understanding how perceptual based information influences decisions in rugby.
The Lab has produced a wide range of research material on perception and action in rugby. Included below are the abstracts of some of the articles produced.
Related publications:
VR Technology Applied to Cricket
Understanding how perceptual based information influences decisions in cricket.
Scientists and coaches are constantly adopting new and emerging technologies to extract meaningful information about the true nature of an athletic performance. However, the examination of an athlete’s performance in a controlled environment still remains a challenging task. Furthermore, to obtain an in-depth understanding of expert decision-making in sport, it is essential that the correct methodologies, which allow reliable recreation of the perception – action cycle, are used. In addition, a technology that allows for the recreation of an athlete’s three-dimensional viewpoint (referred as an ego centric viewpoint) of an unfolding sports related event, updated in real time, is essential.
Cricket is a team sport and popularly known as the duel between “bat and ball” played on the centre of an oval shaped field on a 20.12 m rectangular area called the pitch. To score a run(s), a cricket batters is confronted with a range of bowlers (classified broadly as pace and spin) who have the ability to bowl at varied ball speeds or with different amounts of spin on the ball. Therefore, the batters are faced with an array of stimuli in order to make a successful interception and avoid a wicket being taken. In addition, a batter can choose from a broad range of strokes, striking the ball anywhere in their 360° arc. Research has shown the importance of representative task design in evaluating batting skill.
We envisaged that a VR cricket simulator could offer a new possibility of looking at cricket batting in a task specific controlled environment that still offers perception action coupling.
Scientific Papers
Timing Movements
Advantages of melodic over rhythmic movement sonification in bimanual motor skill learning.
Dyer, J., Stapleton, P. & Rodger, M. (2017). Experimental Brain Research, 235, 3129-3140.
Transposing musical skill: Sonification of movement as concurrent augmented feedback enhances learning in a bimanual task.
Dyer, J., Stapleton, P. & Rodger, M. (2017). Psychological Research, 81, 850-862.
(Dis-)Harmony in movement: effects of musical dissonance on movement timing and form.
Komeilipoor, N., Rodger, M., Craig, C. & Cesari, P. (2015). Experimental Brain Research, 233, 1585-1595.
Timing movements to interval durations specified by discrete or continuous sounds.
Rodger, M & Craig, CM. (2011) Experimental Brain Research, 214:393–402.
The Costs of Taking it Slowly: Fast and Slow Movement Timing in Older Age.
Krampe R.T., Doumas M., Lavrysen A., & Rapp M.A. (2010). Psychology and Aging, 25, 980-990
Immersive Interactive Virtual Reality
How information guides movement: Intercepting curved free kicks in soccer.
Craig, CM, Bastin, J & Montagne, G. (2011). Human Movement Science, 30, 5, 931-941.
Prospective Information for Pass Decisional Behaviour in Rugby Union.
Correia, V., Araujo, D, Craig C and Passos P (2011). Human Movement Science, 30, 5, 984-997.
Judging the ‘Passability’ of Dynamic Gaps in a Virtual Rugby Environment.
Watson, G, Brault, S, Kulpa, R, Bideau, B, Butterfield, J & Craig C. (2011). Human Movement Science, 30, 5, 942-956.
Assessing and training standing balance in older adults: a novel approach using the 'Nintendo Wii' Balance Board.
Young, W, Ferguson, S, Brault, S & Craig CM. (2010). Gait and Posture.
Virtual Thrower vs. real goalkeeper: influence of different visual conditions on performance.
Vignais, N, Kulpa R, Craig C, & Bideau B. (2010). Presence: Teleoperators and virtual environments, 19, 281-290.
Informational Variables
Movement and perceptual strategies to intercept virtual sound sources.
Komeilipoor, N., Rodger, M., Cesari, P. & Craig, C. (2015). Frontiers in Neuroscience, 9, 149.
Judging the ‘Passability’ of Dynamic Gaps in a Virtual Rugby Environment.
Watson, G, Brault, S, Kulpa, R, Bideau, B, Butterfield, J & Craig C. (2010). Human Movement Science.
Optic variables used to judge future ball arrival position in expert and novice soccer players.
Craig CM, Goulon C, Berton E, Rao G, Fernandez L, & Bootsma RJ. (2009). Attention, Perception and Psychophysics, 71(3), 515-522.
Using Time-To-Contact information to assess potential collision modulates both visual and temporal prediction networks.
Coull JT, Vidal F, Goulon C, Nazarian B & Craig C (2008). Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 2:10.
Testing the role of expansion in the prospective control of locomotion.
Bastin, J, Jacobs, D, Antoine, M, Craig C & Montagne G. (2008). Experimental Brain Research, 191, 301-12.
Perception / Action in Sport
Detecting deception in movement: The case of the side-step in rugby.
Brault, S, Bideau, B, Kulpa, R & Craig, CM. (2012). PLoS One.
Perceiving and Acting Upon Spaces in a VR rugby task.
Correia, V, Araujo, D, Cummins, A & Craig, CM. (2012). Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
Bending it like Beckham: How to visually fool the goalkeeper.
Dessing, JC & Craig, CM. (2010). PLoS One.
Judging the ‘Passability’ of Dynamic Gaps in a Virtual Rugby Environment.
Watson, G, Brault, S, Kulpa, R, Bideau, B, Butterfield, J & Craig C. (2010). Human Movement Science.
Balancing Deceit and Disguise: How to successfully fool the defender in a 1 vs. 1 situation in rugby.
Brault, S, Bideau, B, Craig, C & Kulpa R (2010). Human Movement Science,29, 412-425.
Postural Control and Ageing
Brain Activity during Ankle Proprioceptive Stimulation Predicts Balance Performance in Young and Older Adults.
Goble D.J., Coxon J.P., Van Impe A., Geurts M., Doumas M., Wenderoth N., Swinnen S.P. (2011). Journal of Neuroscience 9,16344-16352.
Dual task performance of working memory and postural control in major depressive disorder.
Doumas M., Smolders C., Brunfaut E., Bouckaert F., & Krampe R.T. (2011). Neuropsychology.
White matter fractional anisotropy predicts balance performance in older adults.
Van Impe A., Coxon J.P., Goble D.J., Doumas M., & Swinnen, S.P. (2011). Neurobiology of Aging.
Adaptation and sensory reintegration in young and older adults’ posture control.
Doumas M., & Krampe R.T. (2010). Journal of Neurophysiology, 104, 1969-1977.
Posture and cognition interfere in later adulthood even without concurrent response production.
Smolders C., Doumas M., & Krampe R.T. (2010). Human Movement Science, 29, 809-819.
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