memory

Memory vital
Memory is defined as the storage of information processing activity.



Information is picked up from the display by the receptors and held immediately for a fraction of a second in the short term sensory store.
This is a temporary and transient space.
It holds all the information from the display and begins to filter.
The stimulus is then passed on to the short term-memory, which is also called working memory.
Rehearsal of short term memory can be turned into a long term memory
Long term memory is a large storage system in which images of skills and practices from sport have been filed away, rather like the data files in a computer.
The information stored in it can last a lifetime.
e.g.: once you learned to swim, you never forget

Reaction, movement and response
Reaction time measures a performer’s ability to sense and interpret information before making a movement in sport, based on perceptual ability.

This shows us that reaction time is the time between the onsets of the stimulus to the onset of the response.
It is the processing of the stimulus before movement takes place.
E.g. At start of the race.
The reaction time is the period from hearing the gun until prior to leaving the blocks.
Movement time: it is the time from to the completion of the task.
Response time: it is from the onset the stimulus to the completion of task.
In sports the more the choices the performer has to make, the slower the response time will be.
Simple reaction time: In SRT performer needs to react to just one stimulus,
E.g. Responding to gun sound in 100mt race.
Choice reaction time: In CVRT performer has to choose from a number of points,
Midfield player in football deciding which player to pass.


Influences on reaction time and response time:
Reaction time is influenced by the following factors,
Age: so older performers tend to react more slowly.
Experienced players tend to react more quickly.
Gender: studies show that men react faster than women.
Performance enhancing drugs might affect reaction time.
The level of fitness affects reaction time
We tend to react more quickly to an intense stimulus,
e.g.: loud shout
Improving response time:
1. mental rehearsal
E.g. running through a performance in the mind without a movement.
2. Focus
3. Enhancing the fitness levels of the performer improves response time.
4. The ability to anticipate.
5. Studying your opponent on video his style of play and receiving feedback from coach helps the player to improve his reaction time.
6. Training methods improves the reaction time.
Thinking and anticipation
Thinking is one which occurs in experience when an organism (human) meets, recognizes and solves the problem.
Anticipation; when organism tries to foresee factors or expect before hand.
E.g. Anticipating pitch of the ball.
Thinking and anticipation includes analytic thinking before competition, during competition and after competition.
Different solutions may be available for different problems but the appropriate solution to be selected.
During stress situation, proper thinking may not be possible which may adversely affect the performance.
In sports, thinking can be in the following directions.

1. Preparatory thinking:
Analyzing your strengths, weaknesses and opponent’s strengths and weakness. Developing plans .
What is the problem?
How to solve the problem?
What are the ways to solve the problem?
Which is most appropriate to solve the problem?
If one way doest solve our problem we should look for alternative solution for the problem.

1. Actual thinking: practical aspects of the game.
E.g.: applying proper technique according to the situation. When to play defense and when to play attacking.
2. After thinking or reproductive thinking.
E.g.: analyzing the reasons for failure, success and rectifying the mistakes.
All the above factors aids in decision –making and anticipating matters.
Factors influencing cognitive process in sports


- Sense organs -anxiety - play fields
- Frustration -illumination
-Gender - mood -climate
-Illness/ injury etc - motivation - food
A person’s age is an important factor influencing the cognition.
The analysis and memory component is important in the decision making of the playing situations.
Sense organs and development its function aids in the information processing.
Any injury or illness of the players can be a very disturbing element affecting the attention and concentration.
To maintain the right levels of attention and concentration, the individual has to be in the positive mood with right levels of motivation and arousal.
When arousal is high, concentration narrows and becomes internally focused.
The athlete finds it difficult in listening to the coach’s instructions and gets confused.
The environmental factors include the play field facilities and the nature of the ground or the kind of illumination which players are used in training conditions and that of competitive conditions play a key role on cognitive functions.
The climate conditions of different competitive sites and the acclimatization to the same also influence the cognitive process of the players