Use of Nonverbal Behavior in Detecting Winning and Losing in Tennis

Abstract

This study compared the ability of experienced and inexperienced tennis players to detect winning and losing behavior of selected championship tennis players (3 males and 3 females). 80 males and 80 females, experienced Canadian adult tennis playing volunteers, and a similar number of Canadian adults who did not play tennis regularly, viewed “between-point” behavior of selected championship tennis players on two video-tapes. The subjects responded as to whether the player on the tape had won or lost the point immediately preceding the behavioral episode and also indicated the degree of confidence they had in each response. Experienced subjects were significantly better than inexperienced ones in the detection of winning and particularly losing behavior. Sex differences were not found in either the experienced or inexperienced group even when wins and losses or male and female players on the tapes were considered separately. Experienced subjects generally expressed confidence in the correctness of their responses particularly on Tape 1 while inexperienced subjects were unsure of their responses. Involvement in tennis appears to be important to the detection of winning and losing.