Present status and perspective of the study on decision making in ball games

Abstract

In this study the results of preceding research works on decision making in ball games were rearranged into five sub-domains and reviewed. The summary is as follows. 1) Decision making behavior in ball games: The researches on this sub-subject were classified into the descriptive ones which describe the actual descision making behavior of the player in ball games by using mathematical concepts and normative ones which formulate mathematically the optimum decisions to be made in specific game situations, and reviewed. As a result it was found that both of them still remain at the stage of pilot/introductory research. 2) Relation of decision making ability to game performance in ball games: Examination of this sub-subject is so significant that it may be comparable with rec6nfirming the importance of the whole body of the study on decision making in another view. However, sufficient proof Corroborating the positive relation hypothesis between them was not found to be presented as yet. 3) Content analysis of decision making ability in ball games: It is hypothesized that the relative superiority of the perceptual abilities such as the abilities to attend selectively; recognize, and anticipate game situations part1y determine the relative superiority of the expressed decisions. However, on this hypothesis very few researches which are focussed on the relation between the perceptual abilities and the decision making ability were found to have been pursued. Next, on the problem of what causes the relative superiority of the decision making ability, two lines to solve it, i.e., the approaches from general ability traits and from knowledge structure, were mentioned, and related researches were reviewed. 4) Measurement of decision making ability in ball games: The methods of player observation and of testing were mentioned as the method of measuring the decision making ability, the former being classified into three methods in which the degree of systematization of used observation is different, the latter into the methods of laboratory testing and field testing. The strong and weak points for each method were discussed and some related researches were reviewed. Any standardized measuring tools for the decision making ability have not been developed for the present. 5) Decision making ability training in ball games: The researches on tactical training in ball games and on decision making ability training in other fields as well as some researches focussed on this sub-subject were reviewed and some suggestions were given to the future research on the decision making ability training in ball games. As mentioned above, it was found that even the fundamental problems had not been examined in full and many problems had been left unsolved in the field of the study on decision making in ball games. It is hoped that many researchers concerned in ball games will proceed more research activities to solve such assignments in the future.