Internal focus of attention decreases adolescents' motor learning

Abstract

Introduction: Motor skill acquisition is influenced by motivational and attentional factors. Among these, the focus of attention—internal or external—plays a critical role in performance and learning. This study examined the effects of different attentional foci on motor skill learning in adolescents. Methods: Seventy-seven adolescents (M = 16.5 years, SD = 1.4) of both sexes performed a Response Time task. After one pretest trial, participants completed 16 practice trials and were assigned to one of four groups: internal focus (attention on arm movement), proximal external focus (attention on lights), distal external focus (attention on a green cone), or control (no focus instruction). Twenty-four hours later, participants completed retention and transfer tests (three trials each), with the transfer test involving a change in the light stimulus color. Results: The internal focus group showed significantly worse performance than the proximal and distal external focus groups, as well as the control group, across the practice, retention, and transfer phases. Discussion: An internal focus of attention may disrupt motor learning by overloading cognitive processes or interfering with automatic control mechanisms. In contrast, external foci appear to support more efficient motor learning. Conclusion: The findings suggest that encouraging an external focus of attention—either proximal or distal—enhances motor skill learning in adolescents, while an internal focus may be detrimental. These insights can inform instructional strategies in educational and sports set- tings.