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One of the recent research challenges in the field of attentional focus instructions, are the study of its effects on the performance of elite athletes in continuous tasks. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of different attentional focus instructions on performance of agility in elite futsal players. Participants included 12 elite futsal players (mean age 23.91±1.56) that were selected from the first league of Division Qom via convenience sampling method. Participants were asked to perform the agility L run test under three attentional focus  instructions (the internal, external and control) in three trials. Rrepeated measure Analysis of Variance and paired t test were used for analysis of data. The results showed a significant effects of the type of attentional focus  instructions on  test execution time. Analyses showed that performance in the external focus of attention was higher than the internal focus conditions. Also, the result demonstrated that there is no significant difference between internal focus of attention and control conditions, and also between external focus of attention and control condition. The results of this study provide evidence that in skilled athletes, executing the continuous tasks improve through verbal instructions that conduct focus of attention externally.
 

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Few studies have investigated dimensions of attention out of laboratory settings. The aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between internal/external and associative and dissociative attention and its role in expert judo players’ technical performance during competition. mixed method approach with parallel-design was used. In the qualitative section of the study, expert judo players’ attentional strategy was explored using self-confrontation interviews. In the quantitative part of the study, differences between reported foci in successful versus unsuccessful trials was tested.  Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that expert judo players had more focus on external-associative dimension in both preparation and execution phases. In addition, results of chi-square test indicated a significant difference between judo players’ focus of attention in successful versus unsuccessful trials (p < 0.05) with more focus on external-associative attention in successful trials. In conclusion, while this study does not support use or advantages of dissociative attention in skilled performers, provided more support for constrained-action hypothesis as indicated more use and advantages of adopting an external-associative focus for expert level judo players.
 

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The aim of this study was to investigate the role of attention in skilled performance in real conditions, using a mixed-method study. Fourteen expert judo player participated in the study. The stimulated recall was used in the qualitative phase of the study to explore athletes’ attention in real competitive conditions. In the quantitative portion of the study, number and percentages of foci in preparation phase, execution phase, and total (preparation +execution) were associated with performance movement time. Our results indicated that while attention during execution phase was not associated with performance time, attention in the preparation phase was associated with better performance time. specifically, less attentional cues with higher percentages of focus on the opponent resulted in more quick performances. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that focus on opponent during preparation phase is associated with superior technique execution during real competitions.