Mental rotation and performance in basketball: effects of self-controlled and externally controlled time constraints on the processing and execution of tactic board instructions with varied orientations

Abstract

Abstract Purpose In sports games, tactical instructions are mostly presented on tactic boards under temporal constraints determined by the length of time outs (e.g., 20–60 s time outs in basketball) and coaches’ instructional behavior. Thus, instructions should be presented in a way that enables fast and errorless information processing. High affordances in visual–spatial transformation (e.g., mental rotation processes) might both impede information processing and decrease execution performance. The aim of this study was to scrutinize the effect of different orientations of visual tactical displays on observation time under self-paced conditions as well as to compare the effects on execution performance to those of externally paced conditions. According to the self-determination theory, self-control over observation time is assumed to increase performance. Methods In a mixed-factors design with two factors, 48 participants were instructed to execute a basketball playing pattern, which was presented on a virtual tactic board in one of five different spatial disparities to the players’ on-court perspective. The Self-Paced Group determined the observation time in a self-controlled manner, whereas in the Yoked Group observation times were externally controlled, i.e., the observation time was constrained to match that of the Self-Paced Group.. Results The self-controlled time for watching the pattern before execution was significantly shorter and spatial accuracy in pattern execution was significantly higher for low disparity between instruction perspective and on-court perspective. Self-control over observation time did not affect execution accuracy. Conclusion The orientation effects might be explained by interfering mental rotation processes that are necessary to transform the instructional perspective into the players’ egocentric perspective. According to these results, coaches should align their tactic boards to their players’ on-court viewing perspective.