Covert attention using microsaccade as an index in anticipatory response situations of sports

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K01689
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: Nihon University
• Principal Investigator: TAKAHASHI Masanori 日本大学, 文理学部, 教授 (10297757)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロサッカード / 予測 / 潜在的注意 / 固視微動 / 眼球運動 / テニス / スポーツ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Anticipation is a key skill required for skilled performance in many sports. In recent studies, microsaccades of small and fast involuntary saccades was known that they could occur during visual fixation and show covert attention. The purpose of this study were to measure tennis players' eye movements with EyeLink technology (SR Research Ltd.) when they received a serve of video, to investigate whether microsaccades were detected from their eye movements, and to examine contents of covert attention for serve course anticipation by using frequencies and amplitudes of microsaccades as indexes.
As a result, microsaccades were detected by superimposing a target on a serve video to gaze. It was showed that the indexes of microsaccades were effective to presume visual cues based on covert attention in course anticipation of tennis serve.

Free Research Field

スポーツ心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでに、スポーツの予測反応事態において不随意性微小眼球運動であるマイクロサッカードの検出を試み、その有用性を検討した研究は見られない。本研究は、顕在化した注視点の軌跡やパターン、あるいは注視時間や頻度などの基本的指標を用いて検討されてきた従来の視覚探索方略の知見に加え、スポーツ選手が潜在的に注意している予測反応事態における視覚的手掛かりを推定できる可能性を示していることから、今後、予測に関わる認知的技能の向上を目指した運動学習に活用できることが期待される。