The present study examined the effectiveness of distal versus proximal external
foci of attentions a function of performers’ preferences for a certain focus. dart
throwing task were used, and participants (N=20) were instructed to direct their
attention either to the target (distal focus) or the flight of the dart (proximal focus).
Participants were asked to select their preferred focus after one trial under each
focus condition without knowledge of results. Subsequently, all participants
performed two 24-trial blocks, one under each condition, with focus order
(preferred first vs non-preferred)counterbalanced.
Degree of significance was regarded as p<0.05. Dart throwing accuracy was
generally enhanced when participants adopted a distal focus, regardless of focus
order or preference. The present findings provide further evidence that the
“distance” effect in attentional focus is a general phenomenon that does not
depend on individual preferences.