Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, UNITED KINGDOM.
Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2013 Oct;45(10):1988-94. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31829406c7.
The quiet eye (QE) is a characteristic of highly skilled perceptual and motor performance that has been shown to be sensitive to increases in anxiety. The present study is the first to examine changes in the QE at the precise point of performance failure under heightened anxiety. QE durations were compared for the first, penultimate, and final (missed) putts taken in a pressurized shootout task. To probe the effects of anxiety more specifically, differences in the component of the QE that occurred before (QE-pre), during (QE-online), and after (QE-dwell) putter movement were examined.
Fifty expert golfers (average handicap of 3.6) performed putts under pressure until they missed ("shootout"). Gaze was recorded throughout with an ASL Mobile Eye Tracker. Total QE, preprogramming QE (the proportion of QE that occurred before backswing; QE-pre), online control QE (the proportion of QE that occurred during the putting stroke; QE-online), and QE-dwell (the proportion of QE that occurred after putter-ball contact; QE-dwell) were calculated for the first, penultimate, and final putts.
Total QE duration was significantly shorter for the final (missed) putt compared with the first and penultimate (successful) putts. Although QE-pre duration was similar across the three putts, the components of the QE occurring during (QE-online) and after (QE-dwell) putter movement were significantly shorter on the missed putt.
Performance failure under pressure appears to be due to disruptions in attentional control once movement has been initiated. These findings support the predictions of attentional control theory and suggest that the QE may have an online control function, providing visual sensory information as the movement unfolds.
静视（QE）是一种高度熟练的感知和运动表现的特征，已被证明对焦虑增加敏感。本研究首次在高度焦虑下，在精确的表现失败点检查 QE 的变化。在有压力的投篮任务中，比较了第一次、倒数第二次和最后一次（失误）推杆的 QE 持续时间。为了更具体地探测焦虑的影响，检查了在推杆运动之前（QE-pre）、期间（QE-online）和之后（QE-dwell）发生的 QE 成分的差异。
50 名专业高尔夫球手（平均差点为 3.6）在有压力的情况下进行推杆，直到他们失误（“投篮”）。整个过程中，使用 ASL Mobile Eye Tracker 记录视线。计算了第一次、倒数第二次和最后一次推杆的总 QE、预编程 QE（后摆前 QE 的比例；QE-pre）、在线控制 QE（推杆过程中 QE 的比例；QE-online）和 QE-dwell（推杆球接触后 QE 的比例；QE-dwell）。
与第一次和倒数第二次（成功）推杆相比，最后一次（失误）推杆的总 QE 持续时间明显更短。尽管三次推杆的 QE-pre 持续时间相似，但推杆过程中（QE-online）和推杆球接触后（QE-dwell）的 QE 成分明显更短。
在压力下的表现失败似乎是由于在运动开始后注意力控制的中断造成的。这些发现支持了注意力控制理论的预测，并表明 QE 可能具有在线控制功能，在运动展开时提供视觉感觉信息。
