Trial lecture
Designated topic: "Task-relevant information: Underpinnings and predictions in light of broader theoretical perspectives."
Time and place: 15 September, 10:15 a.m., Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups hus.
Defence
Time and place: 15 September, 12:15 a.m., Forsamlingssalen, Harald Schjelderups hus.
First opponent:
Second opponent:
Main research findings
The current thesis presents novel empirical findings and literature review concerning attention in elite athletes. Past studies have suggested that optimal motor performance is characterized by automaticity on two accounts. In terms of intensive attention, skilled athletes have demonstrated less effort than lesser-skilled performers as indicated by, for example, cortical activity. In terms of selective attention, a large body of evidence suggests that motor performance is optimal when attention is not directed at task execution itself.
However, these findings have often been obtained from motor tasks of limited complexity, from a limited number of sports, and typically with athletes far below the highest performance levels. Hence, an experiment was conducted to explore mental effort and performance in elite rowers competing at the highest level and a group of lesser-skilled recreational rowers. Participants engaged in a rowing ergometer task across conditions that varied in terms of cognitive load and physical load. Mental effort was measured via eye