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CORTICAL ASSESSMENT OF ANTICIPATORY REACTIONS IN TENNIS PLAYERS
BY
SAIFUL EBNE HASIB
A PROJECT SUBMITTED TO THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, BANGLADESH AS A REQUIREMENT FOR POST GRADUATE
DIPLOMA IN SPORTS SCIENCE (SPORT PSYCHOLOGY
BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF SPORTS (BKSP)ZIRANI, SAVAR, DHAKA
JUNE 2004
BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF SPORTS
DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY
Dated 25 th June 2004
I do hereby certify that Saiful Ebne Hasib, conducted the project
research study entitled CORTICAL ASSESSMENT OF ANTICIPATORY
REACTIONS IN TENNIS PLAYERS adopting the standard procedures and
norms set for the Post-Graduate Diploma Course in Sports Sciences, in
the Department of Sports Psychology, of the National University of
Bangladesh. The present study was a unique one and Mr. Hasib under
my supervision, made his level best independent endeavor in this
regard.
Dr. Srilekha SahaSport PsychologistBangladesh Institute of SportsDhaka-1349Bangladesh
ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I avail my self of the opportunity to express my heartiest
gratitude to Dr. Srelekha Saha, sports Psychologist, B. K. S. P for his
valuable suggestion. Counseling & guidance, friendly advice, keen
interest & constant inspiration & encouragement during the course of
this investigation & preparation at this report & formulating all the
statistical treatment of my project.
I express my deep sense of gratitude to Grig. Gen. Mohammad
Ali Mondal, ndc, and Director General of BKSP for his kind permission to
submit the project to the national University, Bangladesh, Dhaka.
I express my holly gratitude to Faruqul Islam Director of training
BKSP for his ornamental counseling from time to time during the entire
period of the study.
I also express my deep sense of gratitude to Md. Rokon Uddin,
Tennis coach, for their whole hearted cooperation for collecting data.
I express my thanks to Dr. A. K. Uppal and all others sports
scientists, department of sports science, BKSP for their constant
support from time to time during the entire period of my study.
I also express my deep sense of gratitude to my parents for their
kind co-operation & help.
With all my sincere most feelings and regards.
Saiful Ebne HasibStudent, Post-Graduate Diploma CourseFaculty ofSports Science,Bangladesh Institute of Sports Dhaka-1349, Bangladesh.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES v
Chapter:
I INTRODUCTION
Introduction and Review
2
Objectives 7
II METHODOLOGY
Subjects 9
Materials 9
Measures
10
Rationality 10
III RESULTS
Results 19
IV DISCUSSION
Discussion 22
V CONCLUSIONS
Conclusions 30
Recommendations
31
iv
LIST OF TABLES
TablePage
1 N, df and critical values of the present study19
2 Mean of the obtained basal CFF scores19
3 Mean (M), standard deviation (SD) and rank difference correlation values (p) for the significant relationship between the variables of tennis players in 10 MPH condition.
20
4 Mean (M), standard deviation (SD) and rank difference correlation values (p) for the significant relationship between the variables of tennis players in 60 MPH condition.
20
v
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW
2
INTRODUCTION AND REVIEW
Behavioral approaches assume that all behavior is determined
by past reinforcements and present contingencies. In cognitive
approaches, in contrast, the individual is an active perceiver and
interpreter of information, and cognitive processes are key to
understanding motivation and behavior. In search of the inherent
network that exists within the individual performer, which helps him to
bring forth the earnestly needed peak performance several line of
thought was evolved to conceptualize the processes underlying in it.
There arose a larger numbers of approaches to identify and predict
possible relationship between peak performance and psychological
make up of the athletes. The vital importance is the fact that
successful sports performance is associated with many traits, some of
which are fundamental to the production of peak performance (Vealey
and Greenleef, 1998 and Saha et al, 2000). Arousal has been explained
of sudden information hitting our central nervous system and the
greater the cortical bombardment the higher is arousal and anxiety.
According to Eysenck (1955) and Rabbitt (1969), cortical arousal is the
indication of increased cortical inhibition to heightened arousal.
Whereas perceptual motor skills means repetition of stimulus,
repetition of response (motor programming and response execution)
and repetition of a rule relating members of a common signal set to
the same response.
3
The more immediately processed information requires getting
assimilated and accommodated with the cognitive schema and unless
it is matched with the previous one it can cause dissonance in
cognitive process. Hence it is clear that optimum cortical arousal
initiated by ascending reticular activating system (ARAS) is mostly
essential for cognitive possessing, while the extent of excitatory
activity in reticular activity system (RAS) would depend on personality
make-up of the individual. The RAS also has descending tract, which
influences motor functions. There is good reason to believe in that the
descending tract of the RAS may be in part responsible for the
improvement in the speed and coordination of reactions under higher
level of arousal (Saha, 2001b). Optimum excitatory ARAS would
facilitate in faster reactions, since it keeps up a sports performer ready
to react to any incoming stimulus. It may remain important for him,
since he may have already reached up to a state of over stimulation
wherein his ARAS can not accept the future excitement.
A player’s personality is as critical in determining success in the
sports arena as physical ability. True, a seven-stone weakling is
unlikely to become an effective central defender regardless of
personality but equally the well proportionate and skillful athlete will
not succeed without such attributes of personality as determination
and will to win. Effective utilization of time and a feeling of the passing
of time are quite important. Alternative performance in alert situations
often demand high arousal an accurate signal detection ability (Saha
et al, 2001), skill the too elite performers often desirable there
4
expectances during peak performance as involving a slowing down of
time. This contrasts with extremely rapid passage of time that common
people often feel and similarly the average level of athletes also
reported to have the similar expectances of rapid passage of time. This
usually happens when an individual performers poorly, and hence feels
rushed are panicked and by means gets more disturbed and feels like
checking.
The ability to anticipate an opponent’s actions based upon partial
or advance sources of information are essential in sport because of the
severe time constraints placed on the performer (Abexnethy, 1987). A
considerable research base confirms the experts superior ability to use
such information to reliable anticipate an opponent’s actions (Williams
et al, 1999). Skilled performers use their superior knowledge to control
the eye movement patterns necessary for seeking and picking up
important sources of information. They are appears more attuned to
relative motion cues and are also able to successfully perceive
information presented as point light displays (PLD) word, Williams and
Davids (1999) demonstrated that skilled tennis players are able to
successfully anticipate the direction of an opponents short when
presented as PLD. Also unlike their novice counterparts, experts exhibit
more consistent visual search strategies when viewing PLD compared
with a normal display. Research suggests that skilled performers are
able to make use of expectations or situational probabilities to
facilitate anticipation. Experts use their superior knowledge base to
dismiss many events as being highly improbable and can attach are
hierarchy of probabilities to the remaining events, thus facilitating
anticipation (Williams et
5
al, 1999).Hence, we have already gathered a lot of information with
regard to the anticipatory skills of expert players, but of remains
unclear whether these are stable characters, or are
subjects to be changed. That means, whether it is always
possible for an expert players to anticipate playing situations enough
accurately and promptly. Further to add questions remain with what
happens to those who are not up to that level of good players.
REVIEW OF THE PREVIOUS LITERATURES
A player’s ability to use advance postural cues is particularly
important in fast ball sports where the speed of play and ball velocity
dictate that decisions must often be made in advance of the action.
High speed film analysis indicates that players who react to the ball as
opposed to anticipating its intended destination, are unlikely to be
successful (Glencross and Cibich, 1977). The temporal occlusion
paradigm has been used to examine anticipatory cue usage in sport. In
this approach, participants are presented with filmed sequences that
are representative of their customary view of the action.
Passing into open space and placing the ball accurately and
timely for a moving teammate are important skills in soccer (Williams,
1973; McMorris and Copeman, 1991). This ability of anticipation-
coincidence can be defined as the timing of an own response to
coincide with a response triggered by an outside source. Since testing
this skill under filled conditions is difficult to achieve a strict laboratory
situation was chosen at the beginning (Henry and Grose, 1968).
6
Morris and Burwitz (1989) found that soccer goalkeepers
anticipate ball flight while Salmela and Fiorito (1979) made similar
findings for ice hockey goaltenders. Recent studies have shown that
pre-contact cues are used in number of sports (Abernethy, 1987). Most
of these studies have examined expert novice differences in
anticipation. Studies of cognitive function in the sports of basketball
(Allard et al, 1980), hockey (Starkes and Deakin, 1984) and rugby
(Nakagawa, 1982) have shown that expert perform at a higher
cognitive standard that do less experienced participants in their
particular discipline. This is due mainly to superior methods of
information processing. It is not clear what effect the exercise intensity
and duration have on cognitive function during performance in game.
The cortical pattern is the end of sensation, and it presages the
beginning of perception. The form of the spatial pattern depends on
the intracortical synaptic connections, which have been shaped
through learning from past experience. The olfactory area can only
generate spatial patterns that result from connections that were
modified during experience with a limited number of adroitness. Each
mean field pattern is a construction of the cortex that is simultaneously
transmitted to both the motor area of the cortex and to the
hippocampus formation, along with the sensory driven activity pattern.
However, owing to the way in which the cortical pathways are
organized, it is the mean field construct that is effectively received by
target areas, while the sensory driven activity pattern that triggered
the cortical state transition is deleted (Freeman, 1992).
7
A neural mechanism exists that keeps perceived time sufficiently
close to the flow of events in real time that actions are effective even
in the course of exceedingly rapid external flows. Existence of that
mechanism was revealed by experiments conducted by
neurophysiologist. Libet (1994), when studied it in collaboration with
neurosurgeons to measure the time lapse between stimulus and
awareness. The perception of time and perception of causality have
the origin in their same intentional cycle that produces goal directed
actions that accompanied by preference, attention and learning from
the perceived consequences of acting. Therefore the perception of
time and causality are inextricably linked.
On such a background in this present study, it was decided to
incorporate evaluation of the level of cortical activation as a supportive
document of perceptual efficiency and cognitive competence, which
would facilitate in accuracy of anticipation required in the game of
tennis.
OBJECTIVES
1. To judge the level of anticipation in tennis players.
2. To study the level of CFF in tennis players.
3. To estimate the impact of CFF if any on the level of anticipation
in tennis players.
CHAPTER II
METHODOLOGY
9
METHODOLOGY
SUBJECTS
20 tennis players of Bangladesh Krira Sikhha Prathistan (BKSP) in
the age range of 13-16 yr.s, with a mean age of 14.82 yr.s and SD of
1.91 yr.s were volunteered. They were the students of class VII to XI.
All the players were categorized into two experimental groups and
each group consisted of 10 subjects (Gr. A and Gr. B). The subjects of
Gr. A comprised of high performer tennis players and Gr. B comprised
of low performer tennis players. They were recognized as high
performer and low performer according to their coaches. All the
players having three to six years training experience according to their
age.
MATERIALS
1. Flicker Fusion Apparatus (CFF) (12021) (Lafayette Instrument,
USA).
2. Bassin Anticipation Timer (BAT) (50575) (Lafayette Instrument,
USA).
10
MEASURES
The Flicker Fusion Apparatus was used to measure the cortical
arousal level of the subjects through visual ability and the Bassin
Anticipation Timer was used to assess the level of anticipation in the
subjects.
RATIONALITY
One of the finest aspects of human cognition that helps in sports
behavior is anticipation. It is the predicted value of subtle change in
stimuli based on certain assumptions with respect to changes in the
spatial characteristics of the physical existence of the stimuli. As for
example, in case of visual anticipation (what we do most of the time in
our game situations) an individual athlete needs to carry out extremely
narrow attentional focus to concentrate accurately onto the source of
the stimulus in concern and to predictably relate to the gradual
changes in spatial existence of the stimulus toward the ultimate goal of
reaction. In these the players requires to accurately identify with the
intensity and directional changed in the stimulus and again he or she
required to predict accurately the corresponding spatial changes in the
stimulus in that the players on almost predictably locate and/or follow
even the finest changes in the location of stimulus.
Hence, it becomes more important for the behavioral researchers
to identify with the patterns of cues related to the shuttle changes in
physical existence of the stimulus, so that those cues in turn would
help in predicting the probable changes in the stimulus in the newer
future, that might have been
11
caused by the opponent players on or by any natural opposing factors
such as, flow of air humidity ground condition, external temperature.
Thus one of the most important basic components of
anticipation, which could be objectively identified, is the possibility of
predictable behavioral changes. It is the earnest task offer player to
predict future direction and intensity of the movement, of an opponent
based on assumptions already prepared in the cognitive schema of
that player. That is the cognitive task of accommodation the newer
visual cues with respect to the older ones, so that it does not create
much of disequilibrium/ dissonance to delay the appraisal of the
spartial character of the stimulus and to optimize the predictability of
the future movement direction and intensity of the stimulus on the
basis of that cognitive schema.
Now the question comes whether these anticipatory cue
utilization in the field correspond to that in the laboratory condition?
From a Lagnaris point of view it is quite absurd to relate the both in
same platform. Not only that for majority of sports trainer’s players,
sports organize and event for a large number of sports science
students it seems an issue of critical concern. But for the experimental
sports psychologists or sports science researchers, this question
however inspires the quest for similarity competitive or field
Stuations with the appropriate changes brought in to the
laboratory conditions. Some time it is quite possibility setting of a
unique experimental paradigm in which the extraneous or erroneous
variables would be aptly
12
controlled by applying systematic rigorous methodology
(Chattopadhyay et al, 1994). This is of much importance for no
assessment of real time mental set up during competitive performance
is possible and at this on test it is the customary practice to carry out
simulated laboratory experiments to optimize conceptually what
happens in the minds of players during competitions.
13
PARADIGM OF EXPERIMENT
SET-A
Basal assessment of cortical activation was done using two-flash
threshold (Critical flicker threshold 100 Hz. /sec.) to obtain the status of
phasic level of CNS arousal before any stimulus induction, and thereby
ascertaining the changes in cortical level (inhibition or activation) in
consequence of alteration in perceptual level of the subjects (two trials
were given to obtain the basal arousal).
SET-B
PHASE –I (Assessment of Cortical activation was measured followed by assessment of Anticipation with lower level of stimulus speed) VARIABLES ANTICIPATION (BAT) CFFSPECIFIC
STIMULATIONMPH - 10 100 Hz./sec.
NO.OF TRIALS 8 4
SET-C
PHASE –II (Assessment of Cortical activation was measured followed by assessment of Anticipation with higher level of stimulus speed)
VARIABLES ANTICIPATION (BAT) CFFSPECIFIC
STIMULATIONMPH - 60 100 Hz./sec.
NO.OF TRIALS 8 4
This paradigm was followed to the all of the tennis players.
STANDARD METHOD OF ADMINISTRATION
14
Flicker Fusion Apparatus:
The processor unit of CFF apparatus was connected with 220
volts AC connector. The external initiator cord was attached with the
processor and the response switch was attached with the subjects unit,
i.e., viewing panel of the instrument. There after the power switch was
put on; and the luminance range; descending order; stimulus power,
and sweep (flicker rate) were set by the experimenter. Proper
instructions were given to the subjects.
Bassin Anticipation Apparatus:
Keep the instrument ready for use as per the instructions of the
manual. Warning signal time (ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 sec.s) and
Runway light –speed (1 MPH to 999 MPH) should be adjusted according
to the need. Digital clock ranges from 0.001 to 9.999 seconds. To the
stationary visual field (0-20 degree) the subject sits at the end of the
instrument. The responses of the subjects are contingent upon the
runway speed and the accuracy in anticipation is judged as the index
of high performance.
PROCEDURE
All the subjects were brought to the department of sport
psychology of BKSP for the data purpose of collection of data for the
experiment. In the beginning they were given proper instructions with
regard to the standard
15
method of administration and the purpose of the experiment. They
were also kept aware of their role in the experiment. At first they were
assessed with the phasic assessment of basal CNS arousal using two-
flash threshold (Critical flicker threshold). Thereafter data was taken
employing BAT for assessment of the level of anticipation using slower
stimulation (i.e., lower level of stimulus speed- MPH-10) following
standard method of administration. They were given eight trials and
data were collected and kept documented for the final analysis of data.
Thereafter once again CFF (flicker rate- 100 Hz. /sec.- , four trials were
given) was assessed to ascertain, whether anticipation task had
induced any alteration in cortical level. Thereafter in phase- II of
experiment they were assessed with BAT for assessment of the level of
anticipation using slower stimulation (i.e., higher level of stimulus
speed- MPH- 60) following standard method of administration. They
were given eight trials and data were collected and kept documented
for the final analysis of data. Similar to that of the Phase of I once
again CFF (flicker rate- 100 Hz. /sec.) was assessed to ascertain,
whether anticipation task had induced any alteration in cortical level,
(i.e., inhibition or activation). Here, four trials were given to all of the
subjects.
INSTRUCTIONS
Instruction for critical flicker fusion test:
“Please sit here comfortably and put your eyes within the hole of
the viewing panel of this instrument. Touch the thumb of your right
hand on to the switch of the instrument. We are going to assess your
ability to visualize
16
something. At first at the ‘start’ signal you will see two white flashing
lights. Gradually they will start to flicker and your task will be to let us
know right at the point, where you saw it to flicker first by pressing the
key at once. This will happen for few times. If you face any problem
during the course of experiment, please let me know immediately”.
Instruction for anticipation test:
“Please come here and stay calm. Here you can see an
instrument. It is called as Bassin Anticipation Timer. It measures some
very important psychological factors related to high performance in
sports. Your task is simple. You have to listen to my instructions very
carefully. Here you hold on this key. Look there you can see a yellow
light? I’ll give you a ready signal, and thereafter you’ll see the yellow
light glowing for a few seconds, and then some red lights will be
glowing intermittently following this path very rapidly. It will seem like
the red lights are running towards you. Now, your task is to press the
key just on dot, when you’ll see the last of the red lights glows at the
end and passes by. Your task actually is to do that as simultaneously
as possible so that, you can’t be late to respond or you don’t press
earlier than the arrival of the red light at that end-point. I hope you
could understand to what I said. Let’s try for some times to see
whether you could understand your task correctly. This will happen for
few times. If you face any problem during the course of experiment,
please let me know immediately”.
17
STATISTICAL TREATMENT
Descriptive statistics i.e. measure of central tendency – mean
(M), measures of variability – standard deviation (SD) and Spearman’s
rank difference coefficient correlation (p) were computed for analysis
of the data.
CHAPTER III
RESULTS
19
RESULTS
Descriptive statistical treatment (M and SD) was done to all the
obtained data. Then correlation coefficient (p) by the spearman’s rank-
difference correlation method was done to ascertain whether there
exists any relationship between two variables (CFF and BAT). From the
obtained results it is clear that there is a significant negative
correlation between CFF and BAT in .05 levels (Table-II) and .01 levels
(Table-II). It indicates that increment in CFF scores inhibited the
accuracy in anticipation obtained by the BAT scores.
Table-I
N, df and critical values of the present study
N df CRITICAL VALUE0.05 0.01
10 8 .632 .765
Table-II
Mean of the obtained basal CFF scores
Subjects Statistics Variables (CFF)HP Mean 38.43LP Mean 37.89
20
No mean difference was observed. Hence, prior to the
introduction of the perceptual task (anticipation) the subjects of two
experimental groups were on similar status cortical activation.
Table-III
Mean (M), standard deviation (SD) and rank difference
correlation values (p) for the significant relationship between
the variables of tennis players in 10 MPH condition.
Subjects Statistics VariablesCFF BAT
HP M 39.36 L-.04SD 3.33 .02p -.691 *
LP M 36.05 .04SD 4.01 L-.01p -.702 *
* P<0.05
Table-IV
Mean (M), standard deviation (SD) and rank difference
correlation values (p) for the significant relationship between
the variables of tennis players in 60 MPH condition.
Subjects Statistics VariablesCFF BAT
HP M 44.07 L-.13SD 4.29 .06p -.821**
LP M 33.95 L-.21SD 7.01 .11p -.793**
* P<0.05
CHAPTER IV
DISCUSSION
22
DISCUSSION
The obtained result has depicted an encouraging nature of
changes especially with regard to the changes in the level of cortical
activation. Subjects of the present experiment were selected following
purposive sampling method, and hence it was almost understood that,
majority of them wouldn’t have significant level of pre-existing
problems in cortical regulation either in the form of inhibition or
activation, that could influence their perceptual task of time
anticipation of visual stimulation.
Observed data with regard to the pre- stimulus introduction
assessment of the level of CNS arousal indicated that, there existed no
difference between the two groups of tennis players, with respect to
the basal level of CNS arousal. Thus, the result implied that, the
players of the two differential groups had no prior differences with
regard to the CNS arousal. This implied that, whatever be the future
introduction of the stimuli, which could alter the perceptual level and
hence, could bring forth some alteration in the level of CNS activation
in the players. The alterations, if any, observed in the level of cortical
activation, then would be considered due to the introduction of the
stimulation itself, which caused the perceptual discrimination and
resulted in the changes in the level of cortical activation. rom the
results showed in the Table-III, it is evident that the subjects of both
the groups performed almost similar to each other in scores obtained
in BAT and the data also appeared highly consistent, suggesting a
23
possibility that the perceptual discriminatory task in the form of
anticipation had similar impacts on the subjects, who are accustomed
to do similar type of activity (training and playing Tennis). More so,
perhaps the task was not carrying differential levels of difficulty level
to the players of the two different groups, who are basically selected
and categorized on the basis of their inherent differences in
performance in the game of Tennis.
Tennis being the game in which players are required to react to
the continuously changing direction and intensity of stimulation
coming from the visual field. As per the requirement of the game,
players need to face with continually changing perceptual tasks. This
happens, since the velocity and the direction of the balls coming from
the opponent player’s return are essentially unpredictable in nature,
and hence, the player requires focusing onto some specific cues, that
he/she can identify from the opponent player’s movements, playing
style etc. Players vary in this specific capacity in focusing onto the
relevant cues with respect to the opponent the player. Thereafter the
question of identification of the specific cues, leading toward the
prediction of the movement and subsequent placing of returns or
placing of services from the opponent, arises. Once this identification
is done, here comes the question of assessment of the velocity and
exact direction of the returns from the opponents, and the task itself
refers to assessment of the probable time the ball would lapse to
reach. This perceptual discriminatory task is termed anticipation of
time with regard to the specific visual stimulation. Hence, it is obvious
that the players who
24
are better able to judge this time lapse in match condition would have
more time to shift his or her position to react upon the ball as
accurately as possible by placing an appropriate return to the
opponent. This ability to anticipate in the field situation is simulated in
the laboratory situation depending on the accuracy of the experimental
setting. The assessment of anticipation time incorporating Bassin
Anticipation timer provides the experimenter with the information
concerning the index subjects, with regard to their ability to anticipate
the probable time lapse in occurrence of the stimulation in concern.
Hence, it is clear that the whole process of anticipation of time
requires a lot of sensory processing, requiring high level of integrated
activation of the ascending reticular tract. An over-burden in ascending
reticular system would lead to delay in processing and hence, would be
the delayed anticipation, and a delayed anticipation would end up in a
wholesome misinterpretation of the perceptual situation involved in
the game. Contrary to that, a faster sensory information processing
might lead to a better anticipation and availability of adequate time to
react upon the situation in the form of better and accurate returns in
the game of Tennis. Thus, it is obvious that the individuals having
better ability to anticipate time would have better cortical integration
leading toward faster and better information processing, and the
success in sports performance in consequence.
25
Results from the Table- III also suggest the justification of the
notion concerning relation between the two above-mentioned
processes. Like it happened with assessment of BAT, the two groups
had more or less similarity in the level of CNS basal arousal too, with
the score of the LPs, lower than that of their high performer
counterparts. The most interesting feature of the Table-III is the
observed correlation between the level of cortical activation and the
level of anticipation. The significant relationship between the two
variables, suggest that there exist relationship between the level of
CNS activation and perceptual discrimination. Moreover, the negative
relationship indicated that the shorter was the anticipatory time the
more was level of CNS activation. This actually implied that the
accuracy in anticipation was influenced by the heightened cortical
activation. Actually heightened cortical activation perhaps facilitated in
the faster sensory information processing in the ascending reticular
activation system, leading to accurate anticipation and that might
have helped the high performers in judgement of the reactions of the
opponent players. Not only that, the faster anticipation and faster
sensory information processing would lead to a better assumption
concerning the movement and the directions and intensity of the
returns of the opponent as accurately as possible. Most essentially
those are the special abilities of the superior quality of players.
Since, the anticipatory task in set-I was only involving perceptual
discrimination of visual stimulation coming with a slower, speed and
the players of both the groups were accustomed to respond to
reactions from opponents
26
having much faster pace, none of the subjects had faced any problem
with regard to anticipating the stimuli accurately. This being the
reason, it is observed that assessment of CFF followed by the
assessment of anticipation task, didn’t cause much significant
alteration in the level of CNS arousal, as compared to that of the basal
pre-existing level, assessed by employing CFF measures (Table-II).
Further to add, the relationship between scores obtained on CFF and
BAT being negative, it is proved that the subjects having higher level
of cortical integration could anticipate more accurately and thereby
took shortest delay in anticipating visual stimuli.
The relatively difficult or challenging perceptual situations would lead to some problems concerning adequate and faster sensory processing, and hence would lead to difficulty in anticipation of the occurrence of stimulation. Though this alteration in intensity of the stimulation is a regular feature in actual playing situation, a lot of the players can’t adopt to those changes readily, and that’s why they fall back and are considered as low level performers. But, this inability or lack of ability in processing stimulation could result in extreme level of
cortical crisis in the players in concern. The results of Set- C of the experiment (Table-IV), prove that the players of the low performer group had faced problems in anticipating, and that’s why they had much delayed and inconsistent anticipation, as compared to their high performer counterparts. Not only that, majority of the HPs were found to be able to anticipate the challenging task of anticipating the faster visual stimulation (60 MPH), as accurately as possible and as fast as well,
27
and that’s why the score obtained from them appeared so consistent.
Now, the question comes what different happened to these players, as
compared to the others (LPs), which might have helped them to
perform better during assessment of BAT, and/or this might be a
regular feature of these players. The scores obtained by those HPs in
CFF, prove that they had a high level of cortical integration compared
not only to the LPs, but also to their own basal Level of cortical
activation. Hence, it could be assumed that, there happened an
increment in the level of cortical activation, either leading toward
disintegration or integration in the CNS adaptation process. Since there
is a marked improvement in CFF scores as compared to the basal score
of CFF observed in the HPs, it could be postulated that, the cortical
activation reflected better CNS regulation in them. This finding got
further support, hence a high correlation between the scores obtained
on CFF and BAT (60-MPH), indicated that performance of BAT with
higher intensity of visual stimulation didn’t cause any problem in the
level of cortical activation. More so, the evidences of relationships
between these two processes also depicted that, at least in HPs
performance of BAT was influenced by the heightened level of CNS
regulation, which might be well defined as higher-order cortical
integration. Again, it might be postulated from the observed
relationship that, a better performance in anticipation of visual
stimulation didn’t put much pressure on the cortical arousal regulation
system, leading to any inhibition. Thus, it appeared clear that the
better accuracy in anticipation was aptly facilitated by improved
cortical competence, and vice versa.
28
The cortical competence in LPs also found to facilitate in
performance in BAT. A minute scrutiny of the data indicated that the
high performance in BAT (i.e., faster BAT) was related to higher CFF
scores. Thus, it might be postulated from the observed finding that the
higher-order cortical activation in the form of better cortical integration
probably helped in faster sensory processing of stimulation and
thereby might have resulted in faster anticipation of visual stimulation
in the players of both the groups, and, since the cortical regulation and
the level of sensory processing is better in the high performer players,
they could benefit most from that, as compared to their low-performer
counterparts.
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSIONS
30
CONCLUSIONS
1. High performer tennis players are better able to anticipate
accurately, particularly during more difficult anticipatory
activities as compared to the low performers.
2. The level of critical flicker fusion ability of the high performer
tennis players are better than the low performer tennis players.
3. Critical flicker fusion ability has positive impact on anticipatory
performance in both high and low performer tennis players.
31
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