Greg Wood | Manchester Metropolitan University (original) (raw)

Papers by Greg Wood

Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) provides the potential for immersive and engaging training solutions for imp... more Virtual reality (VR) provides the potential for immersive and engaging training solutions for improving sport performance. However, if VR training is to be adopted and used in an effective and evidence-based fashion, a more rigorous assessment of the validity of the simulation is required. Construct validity is the degree to which the simulation provides an accurate representation of core features of the task. In the context of sport, if the training drills in the VR environment are a true representation of the skills needed in the real world, then those that excel at the sport in the real world should also excel in the virtual one. In this experiment, we examined the construct validity of a soccer-specific VR simulator by recruiting professional, academy, and novice players. Seventeen participants in each group completed four VR soccer drills, and the VR software provided scores relating to performance and process (e.g., passing accuracy, composure, reaction time, and adaptability)...

Journal of Motor Behavior

Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation

Psychology of Sport and Exercise

PloS one, 2018

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) research has shown that corticospinal excitability is fac... more Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) research has shown that corticospinal excitability is facilitated during the observation of human movement. However, the relationship between corticospinal excitability and participants' visual attention during action observation is rarely considered. Nineteen participants took part in four conditions: (i) a static hand condition, involving observation of a right hand holding a ball between the thumb and index finger; (ii) a free observation condition, involving observation of the ball being pinched between thumb and index finger; and (iii and iv) finger-focused and ball-focused conditions, involving observation of the same ball pinch action with instructions to focus visual attention on either the index finger or the ball. Single-pulse TMS was delivered to the left motor cortex and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and abductor digiti minimi muscles of the right hand. Eye movements were ...

Journal of sport & exercise psychology, 2017

In three experiments, we explored the use of deceptive gaze in soccer penalty takers using eye-tr... more In three experiments, we explored the use of deceptive gaze in soccer penalty takers using eye-tracking equipment. In Experiment 1, players competed against a goalkeeper while taking unconstrained shots. Results indicated that when players used deception (looking to the opposite side to which they shot), they extended the duration of their final aiming (quiet eye) fixation and maintained shooting accuracy. In Experiment 2, with no goalkeeper present, players still used extended quiet-eye durations when using a deceptive strategy, but this time, their accuracy suffered. In Experiment 3, we manipulated the goalkeeper's location while controlling for the use of peripheral vision and memory of goal size. Results indicated that increased quiet-eye durations were required when using deceptive aiming, and that accuracy was influenced by the position of the goalkeeper. We conclude that during deceptive aiming, soccer players maintain accuracy by covertly processing information related t...

Psychonomic bulletin & review, Jan 19, 2018

Little is known about how human perception is affected using an upper-limb prosthesis. To shed li... more Little is known about how human perception is affected using an upper-limb prosthesis. To shed light on this topic, we investigated how using an upper-limb prosthesis affects individuals' experience of object weight. First, we examined how a group of upper-limb amputee prosthetic users experienced real mass differences and illusory weight differences in the context of the 'size-weight' illusion. Surprisingly, the upper-limb prosthetic users reported a markedly smaller illusion than controls, despite equivalent perceptions of a real mass difference. Next, we replicated this dissociation between real and illusory weight perception in a group of nonamputees who lifted the stimuli with an upper-limb myoelectric prosthetic simulator, again noting that the prosthetic users experienced illusory, but not real, weight differences as being weaker than controls. These findings not only validate the use of a prosthetic simulator as an effective tool for investigating perception and ...

The aim of this study was to integrate a gaze training intervention (i.e., quiet eye training; QE... more The aim of this study was to integrate a gaze training intervention (i.e., quiet eye training; QET) that has been shown to improve the throwing and catching skill of children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), within an approach (i.e., group therapy) that might alleviate the negative psychosocial impact of these motor skill deficits. Twenty-one children with DCD were split into either QET (8 male 3 female, mean age of 8.6 years (SD = 1.04) or technical training (TT) groups (7 male 3 female, mean age of 8.6 years (SD = 1.84). The TT group were given movement-related instructions via video, relating to the throw and catch phases, while the QET group were also taught to fixate a target location on the wall prior to the throw (QE1) and to track the ball prior to the catch (QE2). Each group partook in a 4-week, group therapy intervention and measurements of QE duration and catching performance were taken before and after training, and at a 6-week delayed retention test. Parental feedback on psychosocial and motor skill outcomes was provided at delayed retention. Children improved their gaze control and catching coordination following QET, compared to TT. Mediation analysis showed that a longer QE aiming duration (QE1) predicted an earlier onset of tracking the ball prior to catching (QE2) which predicted catching success. Parents reported enhanced perceptions of their child's catching ability and general coordination in the QET group compared to the TT group. All parents reported improvements in their child's confidence, social skills and predilection for physical activity following the trial. The findings offer initial support for an intervention that practitioners could apply to address deficits in the motor and psychosocial skills of children with DCD.

A b S T R AC T The Quiet Eye (QE) construct, first reported by Prof Joan Vickers 25 years ago, ha... more A b S T R AC T The Quiet Eye (QE) construct, first reported by Prof Joan Vickers 25 years ago, has proved to be an enduring perceptual cognitive variable. Not only does it reliably differentiate more from less proficient performance, but it appears to provide an insight into how competitive pressure impacts upon the planning and control of visually guided skills. Perhaps the most exciting findings from an applied perspective are the performance advantages conferred from QE training. In this commentary we suggest that QE research needs a period of consolidation, rather than expansion if the mechanisms underpinning these performance effects are to be better understood. We need to manage the difficult balancing act of ensuring consistency in definitions and methods, while recognizing the importance of inter and intra-task (and individual) variability. This may require different experimental and analytical methods than those currently used.

In two experiments we explored the influence of individual differences in working memory capacity... more In two experiments we explored the influence of individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) on hazard perception performance in a simulated driving task. In Experiment 1, we examined the relationship between WMC and hazard perception performance under control and dual task conditions, and self-reported driving behavior. Results revealed significant relationships between WMC, hazard perception performance and self-reported driving behavior. Participants lower in WMC performed poorer in dual task conditions and reported more instances of inattention when driving. In Experiment 2 we explored the gaze behavior of low and high WMC individuals whilst completing the hazard perception test under control and dual task conditions. Results revealed that low-WMC individuals had poorer hazard perception performance under dual task conditions and these performance decrements were mirrored in reductions in mean fixation durations on the hazard. Interestingly, pupillary dilation appears to discriminate between low- and high-WMC individuals and might be a useful index of attention for future research.

The aim of the present review was to investigate the theoretical framework of working memory as i... more The aim of the present review was to investigate the theoretical framework of working memory as it relates to the control of attention in sport and thereby apply cognitive psychological theory to sports, but also use the sports domain to advance cognitive theory. We first introduce dual-process theories as an overarching framework for
attention-related research in sports. Then a central mechanism is highlighted how working memory is involved in the control of attention in sports by reviewing research demonstrating that the activated contents in working memory control the focus of attention. The second part of the paper reviews literature showing that working memory capacity is an important individual difference variable that is predictive of controlling attention in a goal-directed manner and avoiding distraction and interference in sports. Finally, we address the question whether differences in working memory capacity contribute to sport expertise.

Quiet eye training (QET) may be a more effective method for teaching children to catch than tradi... more Quiet eye training (QET) may be a more effective method for teaching children to catch than traditional training (TT)
methods, but it is unclear if the benefits accrued persist in the long term. Thirty children were randomly allocated into a
QET or TT group and, while wearing a mobile eye tracker, underwent baseline testing, training and two retention tests
over a period of eight weeks, using a validated throw and catch task. During training, movement-related information was
provided to both groups, while the QET group received additional instruction to increase the duration of their targeting
fixation (QE1) on the wall prior to the throw, and pursuit tracking (QE2) period on the ball prior to catching. In both
immediate (R1) and delayed (R2, six weeks later) retention tests, the QET group had a significantly longer QE1 duration
and an earlier and longer QE2 duration, compared to the TT group, who revealed no improvements. A performance
advantage was also found for the QET compared to the TT group at both R1 and R2, revealing the relatively robust
nature of the visuomotor alterations. Regression analyses suggested that only the duration of QE1 predicted variance in
catch success post-training, pointing to the importance of a pre-programming visuomotor strategy for successful throw
and catch performance.

This study explored the possibility that individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) ... more This study explored the possibility that individual differences in working memory capacity (WMC) could predict those individuals who would experience attentional disruptions and performance decrements under pressure. Two WMC groups performed a Stroop handgun task under counterbalanced conditions of threat whilst wearing eye-tracking equipment that measured visual search activity and quiet eye (QE) aiming duration. Performance was measured in terms of shooting accuracy. Low-WMC individuals experienced impaired visual search time to locate the target and reduced QE durations when shooting at incongruent target words. Furthermore, the low-WMC group experienced significant reductions in shooting accuracy when anxious. Conversely, high-WMC individuals experienced no significant differences in attentional control or performance across congruency or threat conditions. Results support the suggestion that WMC is not only a good predictor of an individual’s ability to control their attention but can also predict those likely to fail under pressure.

Introduction Quiet eye training (QET) has been shown to be more effective than traditional train... more Introduction
Quiet eye training (QET) has been shown to be more effective than traditional training (TT) methods for teaching a throw and catch task to typically developing 8–10 yr old children. The current study aimed to apply the technique to children with developmental coordination disorder (DCD).

Method
30 children with DCD were randomly allocated into TT or QET intervention groups. The TT group were taught how to control their arm movements during the throw and catch phases, while the QET group were also taught to fixate a target location on the wall prior to the throw (quiet eye1; QE1), followed by tracking the ball prior to the catch (quiet eye2; QE2). Performance, gaze and motion analysis data were collected at pre/post-training and 6-week retention.

Results
The QET group significantly increased QE durations from pre-training to delayed retention (QE1 = +247 ms, QE2 = +19%) whereas the TT group experienced a reduction (QE1 = −74 ms, QE2 = −4%). QET participants showed significant improvement in the quality of their catch attempts and increased elbow flexion at catch compared to the TT group (QET = −28°, TT = −1°).

Conclusion
QET changed DCD children's ability to focus on a target on the wall prior to the throw, followed by better anticipation and pursuit tracking on the ball, which in turn led to improved catching technique. QET may be an effective adjunct to traditional instructions, for therapists teaching visuomotor skills to children with DCD.

The outcome of penalty shoot-outs is often referred to as a “lottery”, suggesting that luck, rath... more The outcome of penalty shoot-outs is often referred to as a “lottery”, suggesting that luck, rather than the skill level of the player, predetermines outcome success. Throughout this article, we hope to show why such attitudes towards physical and psychological preparation can increase anxiety, diminish perceptions of control and negatively affect the behaviour and subsequent performance of penalty takers. From the synthesis of this evidence, we provide task-specific recommendations that are structured around the dynamic nature of emotions that players are likely to experience during each phase of the shoot-out and which can be implemented or adapted to suit the individual needs of the player. These recommendations are designed to provide a framework to help applied professionals to optimise the psychological preparation for this scenario with the overall aim of helping players to (re)gain control of this situation.

Background: The primary aim of this study is to understand more about the perceptual-cognitive me... more Background: The primary aim of this study is to understand more about the perceptual-cognitive mechanisms underpinning the expert advantage in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation. While research has examined visual search processes in other aspects of medical decision-making (e.g. radiology), this is the first study to apply the paradigm to ECG interpretation. The secondary aim is to explore the role that clinical history plays in influencing visual search behavior and diagnostic decision-making. While clinical history may aid diagnostic decision-making, it may also bias the visual search process.
Methods: Ten final year medical students and ten consultant emergency medics were presented with sixteen ECG traces (eight with clinical history) whilst wearing eye tracking equipment. The ECGs represented common abnormalities encountered in Emergency Departments, and were among those taught to final year medical students. Participants were asked to make a diagnosis on each presented trace and report their level of confidence in their diagnosis (0-10).
Results: Experts made significantly faster, more accurate and more confident diagnoses, and this advantage was underpinned by differences in visual search behavior. Specifically, experts were significantly quicker at locating the leads of critical importance. Contrary to our hypothesis, clinical history had no significant effect on the readers’ ability to detect the abnormality or in making an accurate diagnosis.
Conclusions: Accurate ECG interpretation is dependent on the perceptual skill of pattern recognition and specifically the time to fixate the critical lead(s). There is potential clinical utility in developing perceptual training programs to train novices to recognize ‘normal’ traces.

$Research paper thumbnail of Visual expertise in detecting and diagnosing skeletal fractures$

"Objective. Failure to identify fractures is the most common error in Accident and Emergency depa... more "Objective. Failure to identify fractures is the most common error in Accident and Emergency departments. Therefore, the current research aimed to understand more about the processes underlying perceptual expertise when interpreting skeletal radiographs.

Materials and methods. Thirty participants, consisting of 10 novices, 10 intermediates and 10 experts were presented with 10 clinical cases of normal and abnormal skeletal radiographs of varying difficulty (obvious or subtle) whilst wearing eye tracking equipment.

Results. Experts were significantly more accurate, more confident and faster in their diagnoses than intermediates or novices and this performance advantage was more pronounced for the subtle cases. Experts were also faster to fixate the site of the fracture and spent more relative time fixating the fracture than intermediates or novices and this was again most pronounced for subtle cases. Finally a multiple linear regression analysis found that time to fixate the fracture was inversely related to diagnostic accuracy and explained 34% of the variance in this variable.

Conclusions. The results suggest that the performance advantage of expert radiologists is underpinned by superior pattern recognition skills, as evidenced by a quicker time to first fixate the pathology, and less time spent searching the image."