The effects of an induced internal and external attentional focus upon upper body stregnth
Abstract
Techniques were employed to induce an external and internal
attentional focus (AF) upon 13 male and 14 female collegiate
swimmers. Ss answered an attentional focus questionnaire
(AFQ) and completed a flexed-arm hang to exhaustion under 2
external focus conditions, listening to stimulative music
(ST) and sedative music (SE), and P internal focus
condition, watching their reflection in a mirror (SR). Hang
time (HT) in sec and ratiag of perceived exertion (RPE) on a
scale of 1 to 10 were measured. The order of the conditions
was counterbalanced among Ss, Analysis of postexperimental
responses by Ss from oral questioning indicated that the
procedures used to induce the specific AF were partially
successful. A MANQVA with repeated measures on HT and RPE
revealed that HT was significantly longer for males than
females (p < .05), but RPE was not significantly different
(g > .05). There was a significant interaction of gender by
condition on RPE (p < .05), but not HT (p > .05). Newman
Kuels post-hoc tests indicated that RPE was significantly
higher (p a .05) for females than males during SE and SR
relative to ST. Female's SE RPE was significantly higher
(E < .05) relative to ST and SR. RPEs for males were not
significantly different between conditions (p > .05). AFQ
results indicated Ss did not utilize a specific AF while
swimming.