1. PHED 1 Skill Acquisition Information Processing
A-Level PE
PHED 1
Skill Acquisition
Information Processing

2. Input and Selective Attention
What is input data?
What is selective attention?
What does a model of information processing look like?

3. Information Processing
We don’t simply do skills, we make decisions according to changing environments
We need to choose...
Which skill to perform
When to perform the skill
What speed to perform the skill at
Simple Model of Information processing
Input
Decision Making
Output

4. Input (Display and sense organs)
Display is the sporting environment where all the information is gathered from
Includes both relevant and irrelevant information
At a Wimbledon tennis match...
Essential information includes position of opponent, speed of ball and trajectory of ball
Peripheral information includes crowd and the umpire
Information is collected from the display using our sense organs
Vision- Tracking the flight of a ball
Hearing- Hearing the call of a team mate
Touch- Weighting a pass to a team mate
Kinaesthetic- knowing if action feels correct
Balance- Stability before a move is made

5. Perception
Selective attention
It is impossible to pay attention to all of the information which you will receive
Therefore some sorting out is necessary to avoid confusion
In the Perceptual mechanisms the information picked up is filtered by Selective attention
Relevant information is filtered away from the irrelevant
Player is then left with only important information to concentrate on.
Relevant information is coded- all subsequent decisions are made on this information alone
Decision can then be made and carried out accordingly...

6. Model of information processing
Input
Stimulus Response Response
Identification Selection Programming
Output
Decision Making

7. Whiting’s Model of Information Processing
Whiting developed a more advanced theory of information processing

8. Whiting’s Model of Information Processing
The display/input is the sporting environment from which information is gathered. For example you see an opponent in rugby is running towards you; you feel the texture and grip of the ball in your hands; you hear the sound of their boots on the muddy ground.
The receptor systems are the sense organs that detect the environmental stimuli, for example the eyes / vision, ears / audition, touch / tactile and proprioceptor / kinesthesis. The rugby example above involves visual, tactile and auditory senses

9. Whiting’s Model of Information Processing
The perceptual mechanisms involve detection of the stimuli through the receptor systems. The information received is then compared to information stored in the long term memory and recognition of the stimuli. For example, you detect, compare and recognise the size of the opponent heading towards you. Known as the DCR Process.
Selective attention is used to filter relevant information from irrelevant information. For example, while seeing the opponent you may also be hearing sounds from the crowd and other players. You need to focus on the opponent rather than the other, irrelevant information.

10. Whiting’s Model of Information Processing
The translatory mechanism uses the information gathered from the environment, adapts the information, compares it to information stored in long term memory, and then finally, makes the appropriate decision. For example you recognise that the opponent is going to tackle you so, comparing to previous experiences, you decide to pass the ball as this has previously had a positive outcome.
The receptor systems, perceptual and translatory mechanisms are known as central mechanisms as these are involved in the decision-making process.

11. Whiting’s Model of Information Processing
The effector mechanism transfers the decision that has been made to pass to the muscular system via motor nerves.
The muscular system involves the body producing the response and movement. For example, you execute the pass to a teammate.
Output Data is information about the skill being produced. For example you see the pass travelling towards your teammate who successfully catches the ball.
Feedback data is information used to amend performance. Feedback occurs both during and after movements and directs future movement. For example, you use your sight and proprioception to know that you have performed the pass correctly and successfully

12. Task Watch Usain Bolt’s 100m world record run
Use Whiting’s model to explain how Usain Bolt reacts to the start gun and starts his race.

13. Group Task – Apply Whiting’s model to the following sporting actions
Group 1 – A footballer playing a lofted pass
Group 2 – A Rugby player making a tackle
Group 3 – A Gymnast timing their jump over the vault
Group 4 – A Swimmer timing a tumble turn
Extension – A goalkeeper makes a save, a javelin throw, a darts throw, 10,000m runner makes a sprint finish.

14. Exam Question
Outline Whiting’s model of information processing and explain how the perceptual mechanism can affect the performance of physical activities. (6 marks) 10 mins – GO!!!!

15. Mark Scheme
Components – Sub max 3 marks for 6 identified; 2 marks for 4 identified; 1 mark for 2 identified A. Environment B. Input data or display C. Sense or sensory organs / receptors / receptor systems D. Body boundary / Central mechanism E. Perceptual mechanism(s) F. Translatory mechanism(s) G. Effector mechanisms H. Muscular system . I. Output / output data / response J. Feedback
3 marks for any 3 of:
Good perception enhances performance because performer able to (accept opposites for bad perception throughout) : K. Make sense of or judge or interpret information / understand what they need to do / Detect, Compare and Recognise / DCR process L. Selectively attend / concentrate / focus on relevant information / select or filter information / ignore irrelevant information / detect appropriate stimuli M. See the same thing (as others) but in a different way / make individual or different meaning from same stimuli / perform differently because of different perceptions / be more creative (than others) / react more quickly N. Use memory – the more experiences they have the more information they can draw on O. Use motor programmes (from LTM) / recognise appropriate movement patterns P. Uses schema to refine or inform processing (to make performance effective)