The Perception & Action Podcast 548 – Focus of Attention, the Structure of Variability & Placebo Effects
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Sep 9, 2025 Discover how the focus of attention can shape both positive and negative movement variability in performance. Uncover intriguing studies on one-footed hopping and the subtle influences focus instructions have during placebo treatments. The podcast reveals how shifting attention can alter not just physical outcomes but also the perception of effects like placebo, leading to unexpected insights about human behavior and performance.
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External Versus Internal Focus Explained
- An external focus directs attention to movement effects in the environment while an internal focus directs attention to body movements.
- Research generally shows better performance with an external focus via constrained action and improved self-organization.
Good vs Bad Movement Variability
- Uncontrolled manifold (UCM) analysis separates variability into performance-irrelevant and performance-destabilizing components.
- High performance-irrelevant variability can be beneficial by supporting motor abundance and adaptability.
Hopping Task Example
- Feitzer et al. had participants perform one-footed hops aiming to land the toe in the same place repeatedly.
- They measured foot-floor, ankle, and knee angles to perform a UCM analysis on hop consistency.