

The Perception & Action Podcast
Rob Gray
Exploration of how psychological research can be applied to improving performance, accelerating skill acquisition and designing new technologies in sports and other high performance domains. Hosted by Rob Gray, professor of Human Systems Engineering at Arizona State University, the podcast will review basic concepts and discuss the latest research in these areas.
Episodes
Mentioned books

15 snips
Nov 21, 2017 • 22min
87 – The Constraints-Led Approach to Coaching I: What are Constraints?
The podcast explores the Constraints-Led Approach in coaching, debunking misconceptions and emphasizing the importance of understanding constraints. It delves into how constraints shape movement solutions in sports like field hockey and football, highlighting the interplay between individual, task, and environmental constraints for optimal performance.

Nov 14, 2017 • 37min
86 – Interview with Brian McCormick, Talent Development & Practice Design in Basketball
A discussion with Brian McCormick, Head basketball coach at Broward College in Florida. Topics include current problems with the way we identify and develop talent, coaching fake fundamentals, and designing practice to increase game intelligence and awareness. More information about my guest: https://learntocoachbasketball.com/ https://twitter.com/brianmccormick https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianmccormick/ More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Lo Fi is Hi Fi - I’m on a Talk Show Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org

Nov 7, 2017 • 27min
85 – Interview with Dave Mann, Vrije University, Vision & Gaze Behavior in Sports
A discussion with Dave Mann, Assistant Professor at Vrije University in Amsterdam. Topics include gaze behavior, handedness and stance in batting; developing vision standards for Paralympic sports; and how expert athletes seem to be able to flexibly use central and peripheral vision More information about my guest: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Mann5 https://twitter.com/david_l_mann More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Lo Fi is Hi Fi - I’m on a Talk Show Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org

Oct 31, 2017 • 25min
84 – Time Scales in Motor Learning
Is motor learning a single process that occurs at one time scale as suggested by the famous learning curve? Or are things happening simultaneously at multiple time scales, with some adaptations taking seconds and others years? What might this mean for coaching? Articles/links: Warm-up Decrement in Performance on the Pursuit-Rotor The second facet of forgetting: A review of warm-up decrement The activity-set hypothesis for warm-up decrement Time scales in motor learning and development The acquisition of skilled motor performance: Fast and slow experience-driven changes in primary motor cortex Explicit and Implicit Processes Constitute the Fast and Slow Processes of Sensorimotor Learning More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Subscribe in iOS/Apple Subscribe in Anroid/Google Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org and jamendo.com

Oct 24, 2017 • 25min
83 – Vision & Gaze Behavior in Baseball Batting
Just in time for the start of the World Series: a look vision and gaze behavior in baseball batting. Which aspects of vision are critical for hitting? Do great batters have superior vision? Where do good batters look before the ball is released? Articles Defining elite athletes: Issues in the study of expert performance in sport psychology The visual function of professional baseball players Visual abilities distinguish pitchers from hitters in professional baseball Depth Perception Improvement in Collegiate Baseball Players with Vision Training The Effect of Interpupillary Distance and Pupil Diameter on Major League Baseball Performance Statistics An investigation of the visual behavior of professional baseballers prior to the execution of batting My related blog posts: Pitch Tunneling & Perceptually Equivalent Pitches A Baseball Batter’s Perception of Spin & How it Relates to Hitting Performance Visual Information about Horizontal Pitch Movement: Sensitivity, Release Points & Eye Separation “Soft Focus” or Visual Pivot Point: Which Should Baseball Batters Use? Eye & Head Movements in Batting: Challenging the “Truths” More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Subscribe in iOS/Apple Subscribe in Anroid/Google Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org and jamendo.com

Oct 17, 2017 • 18min
82 - Movement Instruction, Knowledge & Description
What are the key differences between describing an athlete’s movements, an athlete’s knowledge about those movements, and the instructions used by a coach to facilitate those movements? How can these different perspectives inform and sometimes hurt each other? Articles/links: What does the questioning of expert coaches reveal about the biomechanical knowledge of forward ice hockey skating? Integrating biomechanical and motor control principles in elite high jumpers: A transdisciplinary approach to enhancing sport performance Bodily knowledge beyond motor skills and physical fitness: a phenomenological description of knowledge formation in physical training Optimizing External Focus of Attention Instructions: The Role of Attainability More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Subscribe in iOS/Apple Subscribe in Anroid/Google Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org and jamendo.com

Oct 10, 2017 • 30min
81 – Interview with Tim Buszard, ISEAL, Scaling Equipment, WMC, Contextual Interference
Guest Tim Buszard discusses scaling sports equipment for kids, working memory capacity in coaching, contextual interference in sports training, and his skill acquisition blog on the Perception & Action Podcast.

Oct 3, 2017 • 25min
80 – Interview with Gaby Wulf & Rebecca Lewthwaite, OPTIMAL Theory of Motor Learning
A discussion with Gaby Wulf, Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences, UNLV, and Rebecca Lewthwaite, Director of Rehabilitation Outcomes Management at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center and adjunct faculty at USC. We discuss the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning: Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning. More information about my guests: https://faculty.unlv.edu/wpmu/gwulf/ https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gabriele_Wulf http://pt.usc.edu/rlewthwaite/ More information about OPTIMAL: http://optimalmotorlearning.com/ Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning: The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Twitter: @Shakeywaits Email: robgray@asu.edu Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Lo Fi is Hi Fi - I’m on a Talk Show Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org

Sep 26, 2017 • 25min
79 – Designing Affective Practice I: Using Pressure to Aid Motor Learning
Why is it important to include emotional context in practice? A look at the evidence for the beneficial effects of anxiety in training and guidelines for implementing pressure training. Articles/links: The dynamics of expertise acquisition in sport: The role of affective learning design Training with mild anxiety may prevent choking under higher levels of anxiety Perceptual-motor learning benefits from increased stress and anxiety Practice with anxiety improves performance, but only when anxious: Evidence for the specificity of practice hypothesis The Effects of High- and Low-Anxiety Training on the Anticipation Judgments of Elite Performers Igniting the Pressure Acclimatization Training Debate: Contradictory Pilot-Study Evidence from Australian Football The Effect of Manipulating Training Demands and Consequences on Experiences of Pressure in Elite Netball Differential effects of task-specific practice on performance in a simulated penalty kick under high-pressure More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Subscribe in iOS/Apple Subscribe in Anroid/Google Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org and jamendo.com

Sep 19, 2017 • 20min
78 – New Research on Changing Movement Patterns
When a coach identifies a maladaptive movement pattern in an athlete, what is the best way to change it? Do formal biomechanical evaluations help? How can we identify the origins of the problem? How can we improve agility and speed without disrupting perception-action coupling? Articles/links: Do baseball pitchers improve mechanics after biomechanical evaluations? A problem-solving process to identify the origins of poor movement Cognitive Training for Agility: The Integration Between Perception and Action Attentional Focus and Cueing for Speed Development More information: http://perceptionaction.com/ My Research Gate Page (pdfs of my articles) My ASU Web page Podcast Facebook page (videos, pics, etc) Subscribe in iOS/Apple Subscribe in Anroid/Google Credits: The Flamin' Groovies - Shake Some Action Mark Lanegan - Saint Louis Elegy via freemusicarchive.org and jamendo.com