Effects of lab- and field-based attentional training on athletes' attention-window

Objectives: Visual attention is essential in sport performance, especially in fast paced team sports. Different game situations demand simultaneous attention to multiple, spatially separated objects/processes. But up till now, there is still a lack of appropriate training programs to optimize the athletes' attention-window. Design and method: Two intervention studies were implemented to examine the change of the attention-window's size of semi-professional team athletes and individual athletes through training in the lab (Study 1) and field (Study 2). Results: The results of both studies demonstrate a positive effect of computer-based cognitive training in the lab and team training in the field on the expansion of athletes' attention-window. Athletes showed an equal improvement of attentional performance caused by training in the lab and field. Conclusions: The findings provide important insights for training measures/programs and basic knowledge on general cognition and attentional research.