Evolution of Skills Acquisition in Basketball

In this episode, Alex Sarama is joined by Gray Thomas and they talked about the principles of ecological psychology and its application in the context of basketball. Gray explains how ecological psychology challenges traditional cognitive theories and offers a fresh perspective on perception, action, and memory. They discuss the concept of affordances and how it influences player performance and decision-making on the court. Their conversation in this episode highlights the importance of understanding individual differences and designing flexible, adaptable environments to foster growth and optimize player development. 

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Key Takeaways:

02:45 - Gray's arrival to and historical background on Ecological Psychology

16:15 - Application of Affordances & Ecological Dynamics in Basketball

27:30 - The pitfalls of seeing skills as something you acquire then apply them

33:00 - Affordance-Based Control vs Information-Based Control

40:00 - How a unified theory can knock down organizational silos

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