Anxiety, Attentional Control, and Performance Impairment in Penalty Kicks

• DOI: 10.1123/jsep.31.6.761
• Publication Date: 2016-08-10T12:11:23Z
• Authors: Mark R. Wilson; Greg Wood; Samuel J. Vine
• Keywords: Attentional control

The current study sought to test the predictions of attentional control theory (ACT) in a sporting environment. Fourteen experienced footballers took penalty kicks under low- and high-threat counterbalanced conditions while wearing gaze registration system. Fixations target locations (goalkeeper goal area) were determined using frame-by-frame analysis. When anxious, made faster first fixations fixated for significantly longer toward goalkeeper. This disruption behavior brought about significant reductions shooting accuracy, with shots becoming centralized within goalkeeper’s reach. These findings support ACT, as anxious participants more likely focus on “threatening” goalkeeper, owing an increased influence stimulus-driven