DOI: 10.5176/2251-1865_CBP42
Authors: Kep Kee Loh and Stephen Wee Hun Lim
Abstract: The current study provided a motivational account of how attention focus shifts during exercise, by first demonstrating that attention focus during exercise depended on a competition between available cues. Pain studies suggest a role of motivation in shifting of attention focus during exercise, while other experimental findings reveal the motivational value of cue determined attention focus in enhancing cognitive performance. Here, attention focus change with increasing exercise intensities was compared across three different conditions with varying motivational values of an external cue – no pacer (control), good pacer (high) and bad pacer (low). As hypothesized, higher motivational relevance led to significantly lower shifts towards association. The present findings are novel and provided support for a motivational account of attention focus and exercise intensity. Limitations of the study were discussed and avenues were proposed for future explorations.
Keywords: Attentional focus; motivation; association; dissociation
Updating...