The Yips Free Throw Percentage Fell to Around 40 Percent in He Played Through the Season with the Magic, Kings and Grizzlies, but Never Came Back from His Meltdown

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Yips Free Throw Percentage Fell to Around 40 Percent in He Played Through the Season with the Magic, Kings and Grizzlies, but Never Came Back from His Meltdown FREE THE YIPS PDF Nicola Barker | 560 pages | 28 Mar 2013 | HarperCollins Publishers | 9780007476664 | English | London, United Kingdom "How I Met Your Mother" The Yips (TV Episode ) - IMDb Most would think the cardboard fan cutouts behind home plate would have been the biggest talking point. Never heard of Daniel Bard? He went from a 1. There is no medical definition of the disorder. The The Yips was first described as an occupational cramp inimpacting professional golfers. In golf, the yips were described as being a psychoneuromuscular disorder usually affecting putting. This is accompanied by anxiety. In baseball, the yips mostly involves pitchers, where they have a sudden inability to throw the ball accurately. There seems to be two different types of yips, although likely overlapping. Dontrelle Willis may The Yips the best example of Type II. Interestingly, studies involving Type II yips demonstrated no difference in the perceived The Yips level of athletes with or The Yips yips during their performance. However, Type I is thought to be neurologically based as a form of focal dystonia. This is associated with higher intensity practice, concentration, tension, and years of competition. The development of yips, or any disorder with an anxiety component, seems to be linked to a history of traumatic experience. In baseball, pitchers afflicted with the yips seem to have at least one prior bad outing that they cannot shake off. Additionally, individuals affected by Type I yips seem to invest considerable time and obsession The Yips the experience, specifically focusing on the negative outcome and potential causes. Focal dystonia is a neuromuscular movement disorder whose symptoms include involuntary muscular contractions resulting in twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures in one body part and during a performance task. Tasks affected by focal dystonia often involve highly repetitive motor skills. Dystonia-affected sports include golf, baseball pitching, table tennis, pistol shooting, and tennis. Probably the most famous MLB pitcher in recent memory affected by yips was St. Most know him best now as an outfielder since he was never able to completely overcome his yips and return The Yips pitching. Focal dystonia may be from damage to the basal ganglia or other areas of the brain controlling movement. The The Yips to move The Yips happens in an area of the brain called the supplementary motor area SMA. Signals proceed to the primary motor area The Yips then down parallel pathways. One pathway is to the basal ganglia where the movement is learned and fine-tuned. The The Yips is through the spine The Yips the extremities. It is this pathway to the basal ganglia where dysfunction The Yips resultant yips may occur. Unfortunately, there is no single effective treatment for the The Yips. Many remedies focus on The Yips and mental rehearsals. A few case studies suggest activating the right cerebral hemisphere, possibly just by clenching the left hand, can help. In some sports, botox is a promising solution. Paralyzing The Yips muscles where abnormal contractions impede performance could be useful. The Yips, in baseball, botox weakens surrounding muscles too much, despite remedyingerratic muscles, leading to poor overall execution. Pitching relies both on finesse and power. Certain severe focal dystonias can be treated with neurosurgical procedures. This is called pallidotomy or thalamotomy. Recent thalamotomy has been performed in a table tennis player with successful treatment of their dystonia. Non-destructive procedures like deep brain stimulation DBS could also be options. Even if baseball yips is primarily a basal ganglia problem, underlying anxiety is surely a component and would not be treated with current surgical options. Adam P. He is committed to the wellness of the patients he treats. Smith uses minimally invasive surgical approaches for the brain The Yips spine, and uses the most up-to-date neuroimaging, surgical navigation, robotic and artificial intelligence modalities. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Post comment. Skip to content. Facebook page opens in new window Twitter page opens in new window Linkedin page opens in new window Mail page opens in new window. Click to enlarge. Adam Smith July 29, Leave a comment. Related Posts. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. 5 Worst Cases of the Yips in Baseball | HowStuffWorks After Blair Walsh's missed yard field goal sent the Seattle Seahawks to the divisional round of the playoffs, who knows how the Minnesota Vikings kicker is going to recover mentally. He could get over it, or, like some on this list, he may never be The Yips same. In his first complete season in the The Yips leagues, Ankiel had a solid regular season, posting an record and a 3. But in the third he allowed four runs on two hits, four walks and five wild pitches before being taken out of the game. He went on to start Game 2 of the NLCS against the Mets, but was removed in the first inning, after five pitches made it behind the catcher. The following season he The Yips sent down The Yips the minors. In March he abandoned pitching altogether and switched to the outfield. He hurt his knee inforcing him to sit out the entire season, but returned inwhen he was promoted from Triple A to the Cardinals The Yips August. He made It was a long, but makeable The Yips goal 46 yardsbut that he completely shanked it really derailed his career. Start the video at What happened The Yips He was cut by the Colts after that season and signed The Yips the Dallas Cowboys. He was never the same kicker, missing five out of The Yips attempts that year. In he returned to the Canadian Football The Yips, where he began his career, and signed The Yips the Toronto Argonauts. He was released the following year. One of the most famous examples of an athlete with the yips, Steve Sax burst onto the baseball scene in The Yips, winning National League Rookie of the Year. But during The Yips season, the second baseman, for some reason, was unable to throw the ball to first base on seemingly routine plays. What happened next: Sax went on to overcome his defensive issues, and, inhad the highest fielding percentage. He had a long, year career in which he won two World Series titles with the Dodgers in and But in the waning moments of Game 1, Nick Anderson had the chance to ice the game for the Magic, who were ahead by three points. Instead, he bricked four consecutive free throws he was a career 70 percent free throw shooterthe Rockets hit a three-pointer and went on The Yips win in overtime. What happened next: After that, his career never fully recovered. The Yips free throw percentage fell to around 40 percent in He played through the season with the Magic, Kings and Grizzlies, but never came back from his meltdown. He was steady behind the plate, hit for a decent average and for some power as well. But in The Yips simply could not throw the ball The Yips to The Yips pitcher. He was sent down to The Yips A, where he demolished minor- league pitching, batting. But the Rangers would not call him back up to the majors because he still could not complete the throw back to the mound. What The Yips next: Saltalamacchia sought help from a sports psychologist, who eventually helped him get over his ailment. He returned to the big leagues after he was traded to the Boston The Yips Sox in The Yips Since he has played for the Miami Marlins and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was signed by the Detroit Tigers in December In his first two years with the Dallas Cowboys, Nick Folk was extremely accurate, missing just seven field goals. But inhis third year, he missed 10 kicks in just 14 games before getting cut by Dallas. The final straw was this yard kick against the New Orleans Saints. The Yips the Cowboys up by seven points and a little more than two minutes to go, a conversion might have put the game out of reach. Instead, he doinked it. What happened next: Folk was The Yips by the New York Jets The Yips has The Yips better each year The Yips missing nine The Yips in It turns out that Folk didn't necessarily have a case of the yips, he had a misdiagnosed torn labrum in his right hip. This season Folk made 13 of 16 before being put on injured reserve. Steve Blass was a consistent pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from to '72, and he was even an All-Star in In the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, he pitched a complete-game four-hitter in Game 7, helping the Pirates to a victory. What happened next: He didn't bounce back after that disastrous campaign, and he retired in After he finished playing, he joined the Pirates TV and radio broadcast in Chuck Knoblauch began his career in Minnesota and quickly established himself as one of the best fielding second basemen in the game. In he went to the Yankees, and that's where the fielding The Yips began. They peaked in Junewhen he made three throwing errors in six innings The Yips taking himself out of a game against the White Sox. What happened next: He returned to second base briefly, but never regained his throwing accuracy. He was moved to the outfield and designated hitter for the remaining two years of his career, including New The Yips World Series run in The Yips he won his first major—the British Open.
Recommended publications
  • Cubs Daily Clips
    April 6, 2016 CSNChicago.com, After all the hype, Jon Lester ready to roll with Cubs http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/jon-lester-already-showing-noticeable-progression-year-2-cubs CSNChicago.com, Cubs will face some interesting decisions with Jorge Soler http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/cubs-will-face-some-interesting-decisions-jorge-soler CSNChicago.com, Back with Cubs, Dexter Fowler playing like he has something to prove http://www.csnchicago.com/cubs/back-cubs-dexter-fowler-playing-he-has-something-prove Chicago Tribune, Jon Lester regains old form in leading Cubs to 6-1 victory over Angels http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jon-lester-report-cubs-angels-spt-0406-20160405- story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs may be baseball's first team with its own laugh track http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-silliness-sullivan-spt-0406-20160405-column.html Chicago Tribune, Joe Maddon's iPad gets early season workout http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-joe-maddons-ipad-gets-early-season-workout- 20160405-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs' Matt Szczur stays compact but provides big results http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-matt-szczur-plays-big-20160405-story.html Chicago Tribune, Tuesday's recap: Cubs 6, Angels 1 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-gameday-cubs-angels-spt-0406-20160405- story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs prospect Duane Underwood Jr. playing catch-up http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-duane-underwood-jr-healing-20160406-story.html
    [Show full text]
  • April 9, 2015 • Chicago Tribune, Cubs Push the Right Motivational
    April 9, 2015 Chicago Tribune, Cubs push the right motivational buttons en route to 1st victory http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-jake-arrieta-report-cubs-cardinals-spt-0409- 20150408-story.html Chicago Tribune, Jake Arrieta draws comparisons to Jane Fonda http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-jake-arrieta-works-out-20150408-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs not considering moving home games http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-cubs-not-considering-moving-home-games- 20150408-story.html Chicago Tribune, Wednesday's recap: Cubs 2, Cardinals 0 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-gameday-cubs-cardinals-spt-0409-20150408- story.html Chicago Tribune, Colorado homecoming for Joe Maddon http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-joe-maddon-returns-20150408-story.html Chicago Tribune, Jon Lester believes pickoff issue 'blown out of proportion' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-jon-lester-miffed-20150408-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs' C.J. Edwards could be on faster track as reliever http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/chi-cj-edwards-moved-to-reliever-20150408-story.html Chicago Sun-Times, Jon Lester says throwing to bases no problem--after practicing it in pen http://chicago.suntimes.com/baseball/7/71/511065/jon-lester-dismisses-issue-throwing-bases-session- practicing Chicago Sun-Times, Jake Arrieta shines in his 2015 debut, blanks Cardinals in win http://chicago.suntimes.com/baseball/7/71/511044/jake-arrieta-shines-2015-debut-blanks-cardinals-win
    [Show full text]
  • King's Research Portal
    King’s Research Portal Document Version Peer reviewed version Link to publication record in King's Research Portal Citation for published version (APA): Papineau, D. C. (2015). Choking and The Yips. Phenomenology & the Cognitive Sciences, 14(2), 295–308. Citing this paper Please note that where the full-text provided on King's Research Portal is the Author Accepted Manuscript or Post-Print version this may differ from the final Published version. If citing, it is advised that you check and use the publisher's definitive version for pagination, volume/issue, and date of publication details. And where the final published version is provided on the Research Portal, if citing you are again advised to check the publisher's website for any subsequent corrections. General rights Copyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the Research Portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognize and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. •Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the Research Portal for the purpose of private study or research. •You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain •You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the Research Portal Take down policy If you believe that this document breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 01. Oct. 2021 1 Choking and the Yips Introduction Sporting skills divide contemporary theorists into two camps.
    [Show full text]
  • The Psychology of the Yips and Lost Move Syndrome in Sport
    The psychology of the yips and lost move syndrome in sport. BENNETT, Jennifer Emily. Available from the Sheffield Hallam University Research Archive (SHURA) at: http://shura.shu.ac.uk/20626/ A Sheffield Hallam University thesis This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Please visit http://shura.shu.ac.uk/20626/ and http://shura.shu.ac.uk/information.html for further details about copyright and re-use permissions. LerTunn md 11 Oorvlcss Co:.Learning Contra Cciieglato Crescent Campus Sheffield S1G2BP 102 145 936 4 r e f e r e n c e ProQuest Number: 10701273 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10701273 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 The psychology of the yips and lost move syndrome in sport.
    [Show full text]
  • Cincinnati Reds'
    Cincinnati Reds Press Clippings February 18, 2016 THIS DAY IN REDS HISTORY 1944-The Reds sign 15-year-old Hamilton High School student, Joe Nuxhall, one day after he plays in a high school basketball game MLB.COM 3 questions Reds aim to answer this spring By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | @m_sheldon | February 17th, 2016 + 46 COMMENTS GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- The offseason was certainly a unique one to watch for Reds fans. It's not typical in recent history for the club to trade two popular All-Stars for Minor Leaguers while rumors consistently swirled about other prominent players who might have been moved and weren't. Well, this Reds' offseason will soon have one thing in common with the other clubs -- it will finally be over. On Thursday, Cincinnati's pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. With the arrival of camp, the page will really be turned past departed stars Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman. The shroud of mystery about several of the new players on the team will quickly give way to more familiarity as they assimilate with those who return as part of a team in transition. Any rebuilding team will certainly open a Spring Training with a lot of questions. Here are three of the bigger ones facing the Reds as they are set to open another camp: 1. Who will be on the pitching staff? As covered in Part 4, the Reds have Anthony DeSclafani and Raisel Iglesias locked in to lead a young rotation, with veteran Homer Bailey set to rejoin it in May following the completion of elbow surgery rehab.
    [Show full text]
  • Cubs Daily Clips
    June 8, 2017 Chicago Tribune, Kyle Schwarber back in groove, but Cubs' rally falls short in 6-5 loss http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-marlins-spt-0608-20170607-story.html Chicago Tribune, Pitching remains an emphasis as Cubs ponder draft picks at Nos. 27 and 30 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-draft-outlook-spt-0608-20170607-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs dig everything about Wrigley renovations, and are eager for new dugout http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-wrigley-field-changes-players-spt-0606- 20170607-story.html Chicago Tribune, Cubs' minor mistakes add up to loss http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-john-lackey-20170607-story.html Chicago Tribune, No hangover for Cubs over Kris Bryant's draft selection in 2014 http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-kris-bryant-draft-20170607- story.html#nt=oft13a-6gp1 Chicago Tribune, Cubs unveil plans, renderings for new Wrigley Field clubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-wrigley-field-clubs-cubs-spt-0608-20170607- story.html Chicago Sun-Times, Short story: Cubs better with Javy Baez at short than Addison Russell? http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/short-story-cubs-better-with-javy-baez-at-short-than-addison-russell/ Chicago Sun-Times, Runners beware: Engage Jon Lester in mind games at your own risk http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/runners-beware-engage-jon-lester-in-mind-games-at-your-own-risk/ Chicago Sun-Times, Wow, Bryce Harper is coming to the Cubs?! No. No, he is not.
    [Show full text]
  • Atlanta Braves Clippings Thursday, August 6, 2020 Braves.Com
    Atlanta Braves Clippings Thursday, August 6, 2020 Braves.com Newcomb progresses in 'best start' of 2020 By Mark Bowman ATLANTA -- Had the Braves' rotation not been fractured over the past few weeks, Sean Newcomb may have already been moved back to the bullpen. But with limited options, the Braves are left hoping Newcomb extends the progress he showed in the Braves’ 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night at Truist Park. The lefty still hasn’t completed five innings through any of his first three starts, but he’s steadily moved closer toward reaching that modest benchmark. “I obviously want to go out and go more than five [innings] and have a better start, but there’s definitely been progress,” Newcomb said. “The offspeed is getting better, and these have been my first three starts in over a year and a half. It’s been a little bit of an adjustment. But I think I’m starting to click again using the whole repertoire.” Once a top pitching prospect, Newcomb debuted in 2017, made an early All-Star bid in ‘18, then was optioned to Triple-A after just three starts in ‘19. He’s 27 years old now. There may not be many more chances for him to prove himself as a starter. And quite frankly, he may not even have this current chance had the Braves not seen Mike Soroka, Mike Foltynewicz, Cole Hamels and Félix Hernández removed from their rotation plans at various points since the start of July. So yes, there was reason for the Braves and Newcomb to feel some satisfaction after this latest outing, in which he was charged with two earned runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings.
    [Show full text]
  • March 21, 2017
    March 21, 2017 Page 1 of 15 Clips (March 21, 2017) March 21, 2017 Page 2 of 15 Today’s Clips Contents FROM LOS ANGELES TIMES (Page 3) Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs pleased after four-inning outing FROM THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (Page 4) Angels' Tyler Skaggs gets back on track with minor league outing Pitcher Cody Buckel, his career derailed by the yips, starting over with Angels Angels hope to find a lottery ticket among their cast of former top prospects FROM ANGELS.COM (Page 10) Skaggs 'strong' and 'happy' after Minors start Why the AL West could be the game's most fun division FROM NJ.COM (Page 13) Could former Jackson Memorial star Matt Thaiss get MLB at-bats with Angels in 2017? March 21, 2017 Page 3 of 15 FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES . Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs pleased after four-inning outing By Pedro Moura Because he missed a start earlier this month due to a weak shoulder and re-entered the rotation Wednesday, Angels left-hander Tyler Skaggs has no days left to waste this spring. If he wants to break camp on the club’s roster, he has to build up his stamina and prove he can handle a starter’s workload. And because the Angels had their second of two spring days off Monday, Skaggs’ start on regular rest had to come in a minor league game. So, Skaggs faced a group of overmatched Milwaukee Brewers Class-A hitters at Tempe Diablo Stadium. With General Manager Billy Eppler, Manager Mike Scioscia and other club officials in attendance, Skaggs struck out five, walked one, and yielded a triple.
    [Show full text]
  • Nip Golf Yips by Christie Johnson
    Nip Golf Yips By Christie Johnson An Alexander Technique student and golf instructor recently brought to my attention the golfers worst nightmare. Yips. That is right - yips. These are involuntary movements occurring just before or at impact of the golf ball. According to Hank Haney, golf Analyst for ABC and ESPN, approximately 26 percent of golfers have yips at some point in their game. This can ruin a perfect golf career as evidenced with Jonny Miller, Ben Hogan and Bernhard Langer. It can also keep the casual golfer from playing or pursuing further golf. As we are in the peak of golf season I would like to share a few tips to nip those yips. Golfers are not alone in this yip issue. Yips can happen to anyone who does anything repeatedly like in basketball, baseball, needle work, gardening, computer use and playing a musical instrument. The following are body observations to explore to allow the most amount of range and the least amount of resistance in activity. The more neutral and free the body is the less likely yips will occur. Please note any golf references can be substituted with your activity of choice. 1. Bodies can compress and decompress… When compressed the body is contracted and this is like having an emergency break on movement patterns. Put your hand on top of your head and push down slightly. Notice that your head probably went back and down and your neck muscles tightened. This is compression. Release your hand and notice what direction your body goes in now. This is a decompression, which is essential to golf.
    [Show full text]
  • Handbook of American Sports
    1. Introduction Bioethics, as the name suggests, is the application of ethical principles to life’s critical biological choices, with particular focus on how advances in the biological sciences may impact those choices. It is not so much an area of law as it is a discipline that crosses a variety of fields. Bioethicists can be not only lawyers and law professors but philosophers, physicians, and clergy. Bioethicists ask questions that do not always have answers; indeed, they often question whether the answers themselves are relative to time and place and context. What is right in the world of sports may or may not be right outside the arena. But the sports world is often a good laboratory for issues that perplex society as a whole. As with most of life’s controversies, when disputes arise as to the questions bioethicists ask, judges may provide the answers to those questions based on the value both the law and the community place on concepts such as individual autonomy, the sanctity of life, the greater good, and human dignity. Because sports is by its nature an exploration into the limits of human physical potential, bioethics has played and will continue to play an ever-increasing role in sports law. 2. The Role of the Team Doctor In virtually every organized sport, a physician is required to be present during the practices as well as the contests. For example, Article 39 of the National Football League’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expressly obligates each club to carry a board-certified orthopedist and either a board-certified internist or a physician specializing in one other relevant field.
    [Show full text]
  • Download PDF File -Jhblhcjo3926
    Wed Jun 17 09:14am EDT Morning Juice: Dodgers' Matt Kemp wins game playing all around the stilts By David Brown This and almost any weekday an all in one.m.right through baseball season, let's rise and shine together for more information about recap the foremost the past few diamond doings. Roll Call starts at Dodger Stadium, where going to be the spirit of Kirk Gibson being used going to be the not only can they to do with Matt Kemp(notes) in your leading L.A.to a multi functional victory that evoked memories concerning Dennis Eckersley's famous collapse everywhere over the Game an regarding the '88 World Series. ... Nah,it has been doing no one of these thing. Just trying for more information regarding sell element Game having to do with going to be the Day: Dodgers five Athletics 4 (10 inn.) Big Kempin': Matt Kemp was hardly actually wearing stilts when the winning owned or operated was scored. He did prosper 2 1/2 your toes,however after hitting a multi function two-out single to explore score Orlando Hudson(notes) so that you have going to be the winning run capping L.A.is the reason comeback. "We never lose confidence," Kemp said. "We always what better way like we're as part of your game, especially allowing an individual this offense. And a resource box showed again tonight. Weve now that you've a lot of those fight constantly Bada bing!; Jose Canseco Jason Giambi's(notes) Mustache lined a three-run homer against Ramon Troncoso(notes), and Bobby Crosby(notes) added a solo useless for more information about provide you with the going to be the A's an all in one 4-2 lead as part of your eighth.
    [Show full text]
  • Do We Reflect While Performing Skillful Actions? Automaticity, Control, And
    Do we reflect while performing skillful actions? Automaticity, control, and the perils of distraction Forthcoming in Philosophical Psychology Final version pdf available at http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/Q82bMjAmsiyhTXyniy8v/full Juan Pablo Bermúdez Universidad Externado de Colombia Bogotá, Colombia [email protected] Abstract: From our everyday commuting to the gold medalist’s world-class performance, skillful actions are characterized by fine-grained, online agentive control. What is the proper explanation of such control? There are two traditional candidates: intellectualism explains skillful agentive control by reference to the agent’s propositional mental states; anti-intellectualism holds that propositional mental states or reflective processes are unnecessary, since skillful action is fully accounted for by automatic coping processes. I examine the evidence for three psychological phenomena recently held to support anti-intellectualism (choking under pressure, expertise-induced amnesia, and expert confabulation), and argue that it supports neither traditional candidate, but an intermediate ‘attention-control account’, according to which the top-down, intention-directed control of attention is a necessary component of skillful action. Only this account recognizes both the role of automatic control in skilled action, and the need for higher-order cognition to thread automatic processes together into a unified skillful performance. This applies to bodily skillful action in general, from the world-class performance of experts to mundane, habitual action. The attention-control account stresses that, for intentions to play their role as top-down modulators of attention, agents must sustain the intention’s activation. Hence the need for reflecting throughout performance. Keywords: skill, expertise, habit, attention, automaticity, control, utilization behavior, dual process 1 1.
    [Show full text]