We provided clinical Dohsa-hou, a Japanese psycho-therapy, to a college baseball player who complained of yips, a neuropsychological condition that affects athletes’ performance. This in-depth individual case study observed the changes in the player’s experiential mode. While examining the experiential mode, we focused on the individual’s attention style using the attention scale of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS). In this case, the player’s self-perception of the yips changed in a short period of time, triggered by the Dohsa-hou sessions and a reduction in the pressure associated with graduating as a senior student. When the therapy was introduced, the individual’s experiential style was such that upon realizing an inability to perform a movement as intended, he would become obsessed with this inability. However, following the intervention, this experiential style shifted to one where the individual did not overly worry about the inability to perform movements as intended, but instead persevered through trial and error until successful execution was achieved. In this instance, it is believed that the alteration in experiential style and the experience of self-control gained through the therapy led to a change in the player’s self-perception of the yips.

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[in Japanese]

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different attentional focuses, specifically trunk rotation, on shuttlecock velocity and smash movements in badminton. A total of 13 experts (all male, mean age: 19.9±0.8years, height: 172.2±5.1cm, weight: 66.2±3.9kg, years of experience: 12.4±1.9years, all at the national competition level, all right-handed) participated, executing smashes under three different attentional conditions: arm internal focus (AIF), trunk internal focus (TIF), and external focus (EF). This study analysed 1) shuttlecock velocity, 2) joint velocity, 3) upper joint and trunk rotational angle, 4) angle velocity, and 5) trunk rotational range. On comparing the effect of attentional focus in terms of shuttlecock velocity, TIF was observed to be significantly higher than AIF. In hand joint maximum velocity, TIF was significantly higher than the other conditions. The maximum angle velocity of the trunk (lower torso) rotation was significantly higher in TIF than the other conditions. Trunk (lower torso) rotational angle velocity was also higher in TIF than the other conditions at each phase. The trunk (lower torso) rotational range showed a significant difference between TIF and AIF. However, there were no differences observed in upper joint angles. These results indicated that instructing an internal focus of attention may improve performance when focusing on larger muscles (proximal muscles) rather than smaller ones (distal muscles). Furthermore, directing focus on the twisting of the trunk proves effective as a strategy for improving shuttlecock velocity and hand joint maximum velocity during the smash motion in badminton.

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Motor performance is influenced by the observation of the movements of others, which is known as automatic imitation and is applicable to both everyday movements and sports and exercise. This study examined the automatic imitation tendencies in adults aged 20-79 years old using experimental psychological methods to investigate how automatic imitation tendencies change with age. Participants performed a stimulus-response conflict task, and their reaction times and correct rate were measured. Index of reaction time divided by correct rate (IES: Inverse efficiency score) was calculated to determine the extent to which their motor performance was influenced by their observations of others’ movements. IES in the incongruent condition were higher than those in the congruent condition, suggesting that the automatic imitation tendency is observed regardless of age. We examined the age-related changes in the tendency of automatic imitation, showing that the tendency of automatic imitation in people aged 70-79 years old is stronger than in people aged 20-29 years old. This result suggests that people aged 70 years and older may be more influenced by others when performing an exercise while observing the movements of others than people in other age groups.

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