Perceptual Training Using Explicit and Implicit Instructional Techniques: Does it Benefit Skilled Performers?

This study investigated the efficacy of explicit and implicit perceptual training approaches designed to improve the pattern perception capabilities of skilled basketball players, relative to control and placebo groups. The explicit and implicit groups completed 4 weeks of training using temporally occluded video footage while the placebo group used general visual stimuli. Results from a video-based test showed no significant differences between the four groups after the training intervention, despite large absolute gains by the two experimental groups. After a 14-day retention interval, improvements by the control group suggested that test familiarity may have influenced the retention test results. The transfer data showed that the laboratory-based training failed to elicit a significant change in on-court performance. The results, while not statistically significant, highlight a number of key considerations when attempting to develop perceptual-cognitive abilities in experienced athletes and provide direction for researchers and practitioners when designing similar training approache