Psychomotor mechanisms underpinning performance changes in high-pressure situations

Allsop, Jonathan Ellis (2016). Psychomotor mechanisms underpinning performance changes in high-pressure situations. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

Pressurised situations have the potential to influence the performance of visual-motor tasks. The aim of this thesis was to investigate psychomotor mechanisms that may be responsible for such performance changes. A series of experimental studies were conducted in order to examine kinematic (Chapter 2) and attentional (Chapters 3 - 5) mechanisms. Performance pressure was successfully manipulated in all studies but performance was consistently maintained at a group-level. In the first experiment, individual differences in performance responses to pressure were found to correlate with kinematic changes, with decreases in movement amplitudes correlating with poorer performances. In the second experiment, pressure led to attentional narrowing as indicated by impaired performance of a useful field of view task. Pressure-induced changes in useful field of view correlated with performance changes. The third and fourth experiments demonstrated that pressure-induced changes in cognitive anxiety positively correlated with changes in the randomness of gaze behavior, which suggested that pressure has the potential to impact attentional control.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

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