A review of literature on attention and sport performance

This article presents a review of literature on attentional processes involved during competitive performance. Many studies have tried to enhance our understanding of the concept of attention in experimental psychology, yet studies dealing with the focus of attention in sport psychology are scarce. It is therefore relevant to examine the different theories in order to outline the practical issues in terms of teaching and training. In the first section, the goal is to summarize the principal theories and models of attention that are of interest for physical activities and sports. Based on this review, we will then expose the importance of newer approaches related to attentional processes. The latter are more focused on choking and on anxiety-performance relationships. The second goal is to outline applied perspectives that are meant to prevent performance slumps, by examining the various positions of the authors. Finally, the limits of these studies will be mentioned, and the further avenues of research in sport psychology will be exposed.