Abstract
The psychobiological model of endurance performance proposes that endurance performance is determined by a decision-making process based on perception of effort and potential motivation. Recent research has reported that effort-based decision-making during cognitive tasks can be altered by non-conscious visual cues relating to affect and action. The effects of these non-conscious visual cues on effort and performance during physical tasks are however unknown. We report two experiments investigating the effects of subliminal priming with visual cues related to affect and action on perception of effort and endurance performance. In Experiment 1 thirteen individuals were subliminally primed with happy or sad faces as they cycled to exhaustion in a counterbalanced and randomized crossover design. A paired t-test (happy vs. sad faces) revealed that individuals cycled significantly longer (178 s, p = 0.04) when subliminally primed with happy faces. A 2 × 5 (condition × iso-time) ANOVA also revealed a significant main effect of condition on rating of perceived exertion (RPE) during the time to exhaustion (TTE) test with lower RPE when subjects were subliminally primed with happy faces (p = 0.04). In Experiment 2, a single-subject randomization tests design found that subliminal priming with action words facilitated a significantly longer TTE (399 s, p = 0.04) in comparison to inaction words. Like Experiment 1, this greater TTE was accompanied by a significantly lower RPE (p = 0.03). These experiments are the first to show that subliminal visual cues relating to affect and action can alter perception of effort and endurance performance. Non-conscious visual cues may therefore influence the effort-based decision-making process that is proposed to determine endurance performance. Accordingly, the findings raise notable implications for individuals who may encounter such visual cues during endurance competitions, training, or health related exercise.
Highlights
A clear relationship exists between affective states and sports performance, with positive affect generally associated with better performance and negative affect generally associated with poorer performance (Beedie et al, 2000; Leunes, 2000; Davis et al, 2010)
The fact that the positive effect of subliminal priming with happy faces on time to exhaustion (TTE) was associated with a reduction in rating of perceived exertion (RPE) when compared to subliminal priming with sad faces is consistent with the psychobiological model of endurance performance which posits that, in well-motivated individuals, the primary factor determining endurance performance is perception of effort
The present findings provide experimental evidence to support the hypothesis that positive affect is associated with better sport performance and negative affect is associated with poorer sport performance
Summary
A clear relationship exists between affective states and sports performance, with positive affect generally associated with better performance and negative affect generally associated with poorer performance (Beedie et al, 2000; Leunes, 2000; Davis et al, 2010). Because perception of effort is thought to be generated by neurocognitive processing of corollary discharges from premotor and/or motor areas of the brain (Marcora, 2009; de Morree et al, 2012), evidence that action words can affect these cortical areas (Hauk et al, 2004) provides some neurobiological rationale for an effect of subliminal action words on perception of effort and, endurance performance To test these hypotheses, Experiment 2 implemented a relatively novel single subject experimental design (Dugard et al, 2012) to assess the effects of subliminal priming with action and inaction words on perception of effort and endurance performance during cycling exercise
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