Perceptual cognitive abilities in young athletes: A gender comparison

Abstract

To achieve optimal performance in sports, it is essential to have strong perceptual cognitive abilities. Evidence suggests that athletes have superior perceptual abilities compared to nonathletes. However, gender differences in athletes' perceptual cognitive abilities have not been previously reported. This project aims to evaluate perceptual cognitive abilities among male and female adolescents. To measure perceptual abilities, a 3-dimensional multiple-object tracking task was used. The findings confirm the superior perceptual cognitive abilities in young athletes relative to nonathletes. However, our results indicate differences in performance patterns between male and female athletes. These results demonstrate that sports engagement and perceptual cognitive abilities are strongly related during adolescence and that this relationship seems more prevalent in male athletes for this age group.

Fig 1

Five steps of the 3D-MOT task: (a) presentation phase, where 8 spheres are shown in a 3D volume space; (b) indexing phase, where 4 spheres (targets) change color (red) and are highlighted by a halo for 1 second; (c) movement phase, where the targets indexed in stage b return to their original form and color and all spheres move for 8 seconds crisscrossing and bouncing off of each other and the virtual 3D volume cube walls that are not otherwise visible; and (d) identification phase, where the spheres come to a halt and the observer has to identify the 4 spheres originally indexed in phase (b). The spheres are individually tagged with a number so the observer can report the number; (e) Feedback was given to the observer.

Fig 2. Athletes and non-athletes speed thresholds for 3 trials.