Shifting Attention and Response Time Performance in Adolescents: Effects of External and Internal Focus

Abstract

Aim: To examine the effects of attentional focus on adolescents’ response time performance and investigate whether sports participation moderates this effect. Methods: Fifty-eight adolescents (16.46 years) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: external focus of attention (EF), internal focus of attention (IF), or control. Participants performed a response- time task using a visual stimulus. A 3 × 2 factorial ANOVA was conducted, with attentional focus group (external, internal, control) and sports participation (yes, no) as between- subjects factors. Results: A significant main effect of attentional focus was found, with the EF group outperforming the IF and control groups. Sports participation alone was not a significant factor, and the interaction between attentional focus and sports participation was not statistically significant. However, exploratory analyses suggested a possible tendency for adolescents engaged in sports practice to respond more favorably to an EF strategy, though these findings should be interpreted with caution. No significant differences were observed among non-sports participants. Conclusion: These findings reinforce the benefits of an external attentional focus for adolescent response-time performance. Although exploratory, the results suggest that adolescents engaged in sports practice may respond more favorably to EF, highlighting the potential relevance of reconsidering commonly used IF instructions in youth sports and educational contexts.