Broadbent’s Cognitive Approach and Its Effect on Motor Performance in Sports

This study aimed to test Broadbent’s attentional filtering theory in the perceptual motor task of dart throwing. Dart board size was manipulated in order to reduce the amount of information to be filtered in the participants’ field of view. Sample consisted of 122 college students (63 males and 59 females) ranging in age from 17 to 36. Participants’ task was to throw 18 darts at the center of targets 45 cm, 30 cm and 15 cm in diameter. Performance was measured as radial distance from the bulls-eye of each dart. One way ANOVA, Repeated Measure of ANOVA was used in the analysis of the obtained data. The results of our study showed that dart throwing performance gave better results in cases where target’s field of view was reduced, compared to the ones in which target’s field of view was increased. Consistent with Broadbent’s central claim, results showed that fewer stimuli in the field of view required less processing, thus, better performance. Also, those subjects that were exercising regularly did better than the ones that were not exercising. This study provides evidence that reducing target’s field of view in dart throwing increases the chances to obtain better results.