Preference, Perceived Effectiveness, and Familiarity of Attentional Focus Instruction: A Preliminary Study

Although numerous studies have shown that external focus (EF) enhances sports performance more than internal focus (IF) does, some findings suggest that preference (liking and usefulness) and familiarity with instructions can act as moderators. However, little is known regarding the concept of preference or familiarity in the context of motor performance. The present study aimed to understand the participants’ perceptions of familiarity, liking, and usefulness specific to EF/IF. Sixty high school students ( M = 15.36 ± 0.63 years) active in sports but with no history of golf chose their most familiar and preferred EF or IF instructions. Additional EF–IF preference questionnaires (liking and usefulness) were given immediately after golf putting with EF and IF and after extended practice trials. We found poor agreement between familiarity, liking, and usefulness, ranging from 45.0% to 63.3%. Their sports type (ball- or body-oriented sport) predicted familiarity ( b = 0.74, p = .04) and liking of EF/IF ( b = 0.11, p = .04). The duration history of their sport participation, not sport type, predicted usefulness ( b = −7.65, p = .04), which changed with time. The results suggested the importance of assessing previous sports experience beyond the task in the experiment.