Skill Acquisition and Motor Control  

IPEP’s skill acquisition and motor control research has focused on methods of manipulating the practice environment to enhance learning and motor performance (e.g., how to structure the practice environment; attentional focus and observational learning; delivery of feedback). We also conduct motor control experiments focused on uncovering the mechanisms underlying human movement.

Example Publications:

Sidhu, A., & Cooke, A. (2021). Electroencephalographic neurofeedback training can decrease conscious motor control and increase single and dual-task psychomotor performance. Experimental Brain Research, 239(1), 301–313. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-020-05935-3

Gottwald, V., Owen, R., Lawrence, G., & McNevin, N. (2020). An internal focus of attention is optimal when congruent with afferent proprioceptive task information. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 47, [101634]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101634

Lawrence, G. P., Virian, J., Oliver, S. J., & Gottwald, V. M. (2020). Lets go Surfing now, everybody's learning how; attentional strategies on expert and novice surfing performance under both practice and competition conditions. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(2), 229-239. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2019.1626489

Lawrence, G. P., Khan, M. A., Mottram, T. M., Adam, J. J., & Buckolz, E. (2016). The integration of sequential aiming movements: Switching hand and direction at the first target. Acta Psychologica, 164, 181-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2016.01.005

Gottwald, V. M., Lawrence, G. P., Hayes, A. E., & Khan, M. A. (2015). Representational Momentum reveals visual anticipation differences in the upper and lower visual fields. Experimental Brain Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-015-4294-9