Analyzing decision-making processes of advanced and expert coaches during player selection in table tennis

Abstract Coaches have to make far-reaching decisions, including identifying young athletes as talented and selecting them for developmental pathways. To date, processes underlying these decisions are poorly understood. Here, the iCodes model (Jekel, Glöckner, & Bröder, 2018) and its two core hypotheses—the validity hypothesis and the attraction search effect—were applied to investigate how coaches select young players in table tennis in a simulated talent selection situation. According to the validity hypothesis, coaches are expected to use information in their talent selection process that they consider to be most important. Additionally, it is expected that coaches will be influenced by the information they have already received when searching for more information (i.e., the attraction search effect). The present study found no evidence to support the validity hypothesis. However, support for the attraction search effect was found, as positive attributes influenced coaches’ information-search behavior. Despite experimental constraints, this study offers preliminary insights into processes underlying the “coach’s eye,” paving the way for future research in talent selection contexts.