Abstract
Representational momentum (RM) has been found to be magnified in experts (e.g., sport players) with respect to both real and implied motion in expert-familiar domains. However, it remains unclear whether similar effects can be achieved in expert-unfamiliar domains, especially within the context of implied motion. To answer this question, we conducted two independent experiments using an implied motion paradigm and examined the expert effects of badminton training on RM in both adult and child players. In Experiment 1, we used a cross-sectional design and compared RM between adult professional badminton players and matched controls. The results revealed significantly enhanced RM for adult players, supporting the expert effect in expert-unfamiliar domains for implied motion. However, cross-sectional studies could not ascertain whether the observed expert effect was due to innate factors or expertise acquirement. Therefore, in Experiment 2, we used a longitudinal design and compared RM between two groups of child participants, naming child players who had enrolled professional badminton training program at a sports school and age-matched peer non-players who attended an ordinary primary school without sports training. Before training, there were no differences in RM among child players, their non-player peers, and adult non-players. However, after 4 years of badminton training, child players demonstrated significantly enhanced RM compared to themselves prior to training. The increased RM observed in both adult and child players suggests that badminton expertise modulates implied motion RM.
Highlights
When an object is moving from one side to the other, individuals often report the location of the object to be a bit further along in its trajectory
The findings suggest that the expert effects of Representational momentum (RM) can be transferred to expert-unfamiliar domains within the context of implied motion
We found significantly enlarged RM for adult professional badminton players than adult non-players in Experiment 1, the cross-section design used here does not allow for the exclusion of influencing innate factors
Summary
When an object is moving from one side to the other, individuals often report the location of the object to be a bit further along in its trajectory. Several studies, with respect to fast ball sports, have found effects of observer expertise, suggesting a top-down processing of RM (e.g., Tresilian, 1995; DeLucia and Liddell, 1998; Didierjean and Marmèche, 2005; Nijhawan, 2008; Nijhawan and Wu, 2009; Blättler et al, 2010, 2011, 2012; Gorman et al, 2011, 2012; Nakamoto et al, 2015). The memory of the final position of a moving ball may be displaced further along the path of motion (i.e., the RM may be larger) for the players compared to the controls Consistent with this assumption, in a study by Didierjean and Marmèche (2005), participants were presented with two sequential configurations about basketball matches and asked to judge whether the second configuration was the same as the first one. These findings support that RM is enhanced by sport expertise, within expert-familiar domains
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