Development of a simple approach to deal with choking under pressure for athletes: An attempt to utilize the lateralization of brain function

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K19956
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59020:Sports sciences-related
• Research Institution: National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (2021-2023); Waseda University (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Hirao Takahiro 国立研究開発法人量子科学技術研究開発機構, 量子医科学研究所 脳機能イメージング研究部, 研究員 (70824572)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: あがり / 脳波 / 歩容

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The effects of unilateral hand contractions and EEG neurofeedback (NF) training, including the effects when they were combined, on choking were examined using golf putting task. Golf putting results were recorded by a camera put on the ceiling, and performance was evaluated by the deviation distance from the target. The putting performance results suggest that the magnitude of the choking-prevention effect of left hemispheric brain activity differs from one individual to another.
The gait in daily life was measured using smart shoes for three months, and the relationship between gait and positive emotions was examined. The results suggest that gait asymmetry can be related to positive emotions.

Free Research Field

スポーツ心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

あがり防止に苦しむアスリートは多い。あがり防止効果の享受には，個人差が大きく，あがり防止効果に関する研究では，テイラーメイド型のような個人毎に最適化されたものが好ましい可能性がある。今後はどのような個人差があがり防止効果享受に関係があるのか検証することが求められる。
ポジティブ感情の一部が，日常生活での歩行時における運動の左右差と関係することが示唆された。因果関係はまだ不明であるが，日常生活の運動の一部が不安などのネガティブ感情の低減と関係しているのかもしれない。