Attentional focus in endurance activity: new paradigms and future directions

Abstract

After more than 35 years of investigation, research on attentional focus in endurance activity is still mired by a lack of consensus. Specific challenges relate to the conceptualisation of association and dissociation, and discrepancies in methodology, research design, and data collection techniques. This review addresses previously unresolved issues that may limit research findings in this field. Initial concerns include how the endpoint of exercise tasks is defined, how pace is controlled, and the subjects employed within research investigations. An additional objective is to provide direction for future investigations. Traditional views of attentional focus may be limited in their explanatory value. We present a new working model of attentional focus in endurance activity that may more precisely categorise cognitive processes. Finally, research on this topic needs to be grounded in a recognised framework that captures the dynamic nature of human cognition. We propose that existing perspectives are recognised, such as the parallel processing model of pain and the mindfulness approach, and in addition we propose a metacognitive perspective be explored. Means of integrating these conceptual frameworks are suggested to further enhance the understanding of attentional processes in endurance activity.

Keywords:

• cognitive strategy
• association
• metacognition
• endurance exercise
• attentional focus

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article (Tables S1–S4) can be accessed here.

Notes

1. The term external association in this case is drawn from research in the motor skill learning domain, and refers to attention directed on the effects of movements on the environment (see Wulf, 2013). Although it is beyond the scope of this review to discuss attentional focus in motor skill learning, these studies (Lohse & Sherwood, 2011; Neumann & Brown, 2013) are included as muscular endurance tasks were employed. The additional confusion caused by the use of terminology from the motor skill learning domain should be noted, however.