Action -Specific Perception in Different Focus of Attention Conditions in Autistic Children

Hasani, Astireh; Heirani, Ali; Sabaghi, Ayoob

doi:10.22059/jsmdl.2023.337990.1639

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under CC BY-NC 4.0 license

Authors

¹ Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran .

² Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Sports Sciences , Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

³ Department of Sports Sciences, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah , Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22059/jsmdl.2023.337990.1639

Abstract

Introduction: Lifestyle changes and the increasing trend of children's developmental disorders, especially in the field of social interactions have made it necessary to conduct research in this field of study. So the present study aimed to investigate the action-specific perception in the different focus of attention conditions in autistic children.
Methods: In a quasi-experimental study, 45 people with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder were identified and randomly divided into three Internal Attention, External Attention, and Control groups (15 people in each group). The participant's task was to throw darts and estimate the target size. After the pre-test, the groups performed the dart-throwing task in 5 blocks of 10 trials. The focus of attention instructions - specific to the experimental groups- were given before each trial, and subjects were asked to estimate the target size before performing the tasks in each block. For this, participants used a circle shape in Microsoft PowerPoint to draw a circle the same size as the darts' target. The next day, retention and transfer tests were performed.
Results: The results showed that the Internal Attention group was better than the External Attention and Control groups both in dart-throwing performance in acquisition, retention, and transfer stages and in action-specific perception (P≤0.05).
Conclusion: In general, the findings showed that in children with autism spectrum disorder, internal attention leads to better performance and learning than external attention. Therefore coaches and physical education teachers who work with these children should emphasize on benefits of internal focus of attention when designing training sessions.

Keywords

References

Aman JE, Elangovan N, Yeh IL. (2014). The effectiveness of proprioceptive training for improving motor function: a systematic review. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8: 1075.

Asadi, Ayoub & Aiken, Christopher & Heidari, Souri & Goudini, Reza & Saeedpour-Parizi, Mohammad R.. (2022). The effects of attentional focus on visuomotor control during observational learning in children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. 98. 10.1016/j.rasd.2022.102041. ( in persian)

Beilock, S. L., Bertenthal, B. I., McCoy, A. M., & Carr, T. H. (2004). Haste does not always make waste: Expertise, direction of attention, and speed versus accuracy in performing sensorimotor skills. Psychonomic bulletin & review, 11, 373-379.

Bhat AN. (2021). Motor Impairment Increases in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder as a Function of Social Communication, Cognitive and Functional Impairment, Repetitive Behavior Severity, and Comorbid Diagnoses: A SPARK Study Report. Autism Res, Jan;14(1):202-219. doi: 10.1002/aur.2453. Epub 2020 Dec 9. PMID: 33300285; PMCID: PMC8176850

Blakemore S J, Tavassoli T, Calò S, Thomas R M, Catmur C, Frith U, Haggard P. (2006). Tactile sensitivity in Asperger syndrome. Brain and cognition, 61(1), 5-13.

Brocken, J. E. A., Kal, E. C., & van der Kamp, J. (2016). Focus of attention in children’s motor learning: Examining the role of age and working memory. Journal of Motor Behavior, 48, 527–534. doi:10.1080/00222895.2016.1152224

Cañal-Bruland, R., Zhu, F. F., van der Kamp, J., & Masters, R. S. (2011). Target-directed visual attention is a prerequisite for action-specific perception. Acta psychologica, 136(3), 285-289.

Cañal-Bruland R, Pijpers J, Oudejans R R. (2010). The influence of anxiety on action-specific perception. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 23(3), 353-361.

Cañal-Bruland R, van der Kamp J.(2008). Action goals influence action-specific perception. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. 16(6), 1100-1105.

Cañal-Bruland R, Zhu FF, van der Kamp J, Masters R S. (2011). Target-directed visual attention is a prerequisite for action-specific perception. Acta psychologica. 136(3): 285-289. .

Chiviacowsky S, Wulf G, Ávila L. (2013). An external focus of attention enhances motor learning in children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 57(7):627-34.

Emanuel M, Jarus T, Bart O. (2007). Effect of Focus of Attention and Age on Motor Acquisition, Retention, and Transfer: A Randomized Trial.Physical Therapy, 88:251.(chap1-2).

Fietzer AL, Winstein CJ, Kulig K. (2018). Changing one's focus of attention alters the structure of movement variability. Hum Mov Sci, Dec;62:14-24. doi: 10.1016/j.humov.2018.09.004. Epub 2018 Sep 12. PMID: 30218846.

Flôres, F. S., Schild, J. F. G., & Chiviacowsky, S. (2015). Benefits of external focus instructions on the learning of a balance task in children of different ages. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 46, 311–320. doi:10.7352/IJSP.2015.46.311

Ghadimi Kalateh, Z., Qeysari, S. . F., & Sheikh, M. (2022). Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the C -SHARP Questionnaire (Children’s Scale of Hostility and Aggression: Reactive/Proactive) in Individuals with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Sports and Motor Development and Learning, 13(4), 375-389. doi: 10.22059/jmlm.2021. 330752.1605.(in persian)

Glazebrook C, Gonzalez D, Hansen S, Elliott D.(2009). The role of vision for online control of manual aiming movements in persons with autism spectrum disorders. Autism, 13(4), 411-433.

Guha M. (2014). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5 (5th edition). Reference Reviews, 28 (3), 36-37.

Hadler R, Chiviacowsky S, Wulf G, Schild JFG. (2014). Children's learning of tennis skills is facilitated by external focus instructions. Motriz: Revista de Educação Física, 20(4):418-22.

Hallahan, D. P., Pullen, P. C., Kauffman, J. M., & Badar, J. (2020). Exceptional learners. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education.

Irvani M, Khodapnahi M K. (2011). Psychology of feeling and perception. (Volume I), Samat Publications, Tehran. (in persian)

Izawa J, Pekny SE, Marko MK, Haswell CC, Shadmehr R, Mostofsky SH. (2012). Motor learning relies on integrated sensory inputs in ADHD, but over-selectively on proprioception in autism spectrum conditions. Autism Res, 5:124–36.

Izawa l C, Haswell C J, Dowell L R, Mostofsky S H, Shadmehr R. (2009). Representation of internal models of action in the autistic brain. Nature neuroscience, 12(8), 970-972.

johnson BP, Rinehart NJ, White O, Millist L, Fielding J. (2013). Saccade adaptation in autism and Asperger's disorder. Neuroscience, 243:76–87.

Kasechi M, Behnia F, Mirzaei H, Rezafiani M, Farzi M. (2013). Validity and reliability of Persian version of high-functioning autism spectrum screening questionnaire age 7-12. Psj, 12 (1) :45-54 (in persian).

Marchant, D. C., Clough, P. J., & Crawshaw, M. (2007). The effects of attentional focusing strategies on novice dart throwing performance and their task experiences. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 5(3), 291-303.

Marko M K, Crocetti D, Hulst T, Donchin O, Shadmehr R, Mostofsky S H. (2015). Behavioural and neural basis of anomalous motor learning in children with autism. Brain, 138(3): 784-797. .

Maxwell, J. P., & Masters, R. (2002). External versus internal focus instructions: Is the learner paying attention? International Journal of Applied Sports Sciences, 14(2).

Mohd Nordin A, Ismail J and Kamal Nor N (2021) Motor Development in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front. Pediatr. 9:598276. doi: 10.3389/fped.2021.598276.

Mosconi MW, Luna B, Kay-Stacey M, Nowinski CV, Rubin LH, Scudder C, et al. (2012). Saccade adaptation abnormalities implicate dysfunction of cerebellar-dependent learning mechanisms in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) PLoS One, 8:e63709.

Nakano T, Kato N, Kitazawa S. (2012). Superior haptic-to-visual shape matching in autism spectrum disorders. Neuropsychologia, 50:696–703.

Perkins-Ceccato, N., Passmore, S. R., & Lee, T. D. (2003). Effects of focus of attention depend on golfers' skill. Journal of sports sciences, 21(8), 593-600.

Petranek LJ, Bolter ND, Bell K. (2019). Attentional focus and feedback frequency among first graders in physical education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 38(3):199-206.

Piccardi, L., Bianchini, F., Nori, R., Marano, A., Iachini, F., Lasala, L., & Guariglia, C. (2014). Spatial location and pathway memory compared in the reaching vs. walking domains. Neuroscience Letters, 566, 226-230.

Qeysari, F., Shahbazi, M., Tahmasebi Boroujeni, S., & Sharifnejad, A. (2020). The Effect of External and Internal Focus of Attention on Electromyography of the Lower Extremity Muscles in Different Phases of Vertical Jump. Motor Behavior, 12(40), 87-102. doi: 10.22089/mbj.2020.7204.1790(in persian).

Qeysari, F., Shahbazi, M., Tahmasebi Boroujeni, S., & Sharifnejad, A. (2020). The Effect of External and Internal Focus of Attention on Electromyography of the Lower Extremity Muscles in Different Phases of Vertical Jump. MotorBehavior, 12(40), 87-102. doi: 10.22089/mbj.2020.7204.1790(in persian).

Rahimi, A., Shetab Bushehri, S., Shakerian, S., & Dehghan, M. (2017). The effect of internal and external focal point guidelines on the static equilibrium of male children with autism. Amazonia Investiga, 6(10), 191-200. Retrieved from https://amazoniainvestiga.info/index.php /amazonia/article/view/7340. (in persian)

Russell, J. A., & Dols, J. M. F. (1997). The psychology of facial expression (Vol. 131): Cambridge university press Cambridge.

Smith, A. D., Howard, C. J., Alcock, N., & Cater, K. (2010). Going the distance: spatial scale of athletic experience affects the accuracy of path integration. Experimental brain research, 206(1), 93-98.

Tse, A. C. (2019). Effects of attentional focus on motor learning in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism, 23(2), 405-412.

Witt J K, Dorsch T E. Kicking to bigger uprights: Field goal kicking performance influences perceived size. Perception. 2009; 38(9), 1328-1340.

Witt, J. K., & Sugovic, M. (2013). Response bias cannot explain action-specific effects: Evidence from compliant and non-compliant participants. Perception, 42(2), 138-152.

Wulf, G. (2007). Attentional focus and motor learning: areview of 10 years of research. GABRIELE WULF ON ATTENTIONAL FOCUS AND MOTOR LEARNING, 4.

Wulf G, Shea C, Park J-H. (2001) Attention and motor performance: preferences for and advantages of an external focus. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 72(4):335-44.