Test Of Attentional And Interpersonal Style Research Articles

Attentional Style and Pace Monitoring on Rate of Perceived Exertion and Run Performance

Run-tracking devices are used by athletes and exercisers to monitor various metrics of human locomotion such as pace and distance. This study sought to determine the effects of pace monitoring on run performance and rate of perceived exertion (RPE). Participants were 41 (17 male, 24 female) recreationally fit runners, age 19-40 years (M = 22.4, SD = 4.4), who completed the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) to determine individual attentional focus. They then completed an associative condition (AC) 1-mile time trial and a dissociative condition (DC) 1-mile time trial 24-36 hours apart. Individual, independent t-tests compared completion time means between conditions. The internalizers group (AC) performed significantly faster in the associative condition (M = 496.10, SD = 105.05 seconds) than in the dissociative condition (M = 525.00, SD = 109.67 seconds), t(20) = 5.79, p < .001. The externalizers group (DC) performed significantly faster in the dissociative condition (M = 522.70, SD = 97.37 seconds) than in the associative condition (M = 556.90, SD = 116.62), t(19) = -4.92, p < .001. Results support the value of identifying an individual’s preferred attentional focus to place them in the optimal environment for success. While the study showed no significant difference in RPE scores between conditions, there may be practical implications of similar RPE scores when accompanied by significant changes in performance.

航空自衛隊操縦者における注意・対人スタイル診断テスト(TAIS)日本版の妥当性に関する研究

航空自衛隊操縦者における注意・対人スタイル診断テスト(TAIS)日本版の妥当性に関する研究

Effects of an Imagery Training Program on Selective Attention of National Softball Players

This study examined the effectiveness of an imagery training program in improving national softball players’ selective attention. A multiple-baseline design across individuals was used. There were four participants. One remained at baseline, while the other three spent 10 min a day practicing an audio-taped imagery program composed of 28 sessions. Measures of selective attention were collected via a baseball/softball batting specific version stemming from Nideffer’s (1976) Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS). The results demonstrated that the imagery training program generally enhanced the ability of softball players to integrate external stimuli without being overloaded with them and to narrow attention. Results were discussed in relation to the usefulness of multiple-baseline designs for investigating individual differences among elite athletes. Practical pedagogical considerations for coaching are proposed.

Validity of attentional-style subscales for the Japanese version of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS)

The six attentional-style subscales of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS, Nideffer, 1976) have been used mainly in the sport psychology area to investigate the relationship between attentional abilities and performance. This study assessed the validity of the Japanese version of the TAIS attentional-style subscales with 157 male and 163 female students. A confirmatory factor analysis failed to validate Nideffer's attentional dimension of bandwidth (narrow to broad attention) and direction (internal to external). The findings replicate previous studies which showed that the structure of the TAIS attention-related subscales is not reasonable and its factorial validity does not meet the needs of psychometrics.

Using the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) for Profiling and Counseling Dancers

In a previous report the authors used the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS), a personality profiling instrument that is well established in the world of sport, for the first time with dancers. Two groups of subjects, one composed of elite professional ballet dancers (n = 41), the other of conservatory dance majors (n = 42), were compared in the interest of exploring the feasibility of developing a psychological profile of the dancer's personality. The present study expands the subject base originally available to encompass 83 professionals and 110 students. The results achieved were virtually identical to those of the earlier sampling. Most essentially, the personality profile of the elite ballet dancer was validated as being marked by a narrow internal focus of attention, and such interpersonal characteristics as high levels of self-assurance, perfectionism, competitiveness, and need for control. It is concluded that with this profile available to represent a model personality on which success in dance may be predicated, there would be no reason not to proceed with using TAIS with dancers in the same way that it has been used for years with athletes — as a means to enhance the performance of those individuals who have made a career commitment to the field.

A Personality Profile of Professional and Conservatory Student Dancers

The Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS), a 144-item personality inventory developed by sport psychologist Robert Nideffer, was used for the first time with dancers in this study to explore (1) what it would divulge about the shared personality traits of elite-level dancers and (2) whether it might be useful as a teaching/counseling tool to enhance the performance of under-achieving dance students. Two sets of subjects were tested: group 1 (n = 41: 22 females, 19 males) was composed of professional dancers from the Boston Ballet Company, while the subjects in group 2 (n = 42: 38 females, 4 males) were all dance majors at the Boston Conservatory. A composite profile was developed for each group by averaging the scores recorded on each of the 18 scales used in the TAIS analysis, and the two profiles were then compared in accordance with standard testing procedures. Both groups were found to be characterized by an internally focused attentional style, but the professionals were clearly more skilled in adapting this style to the elimination of internal and external distractions. This finding was reinforced by a contrast in the personality traits relating to interpersonal style, which again portrayed the student dancers as relatively vulnerable to distraction as a result of higher levels of extroversion and impulsivity, and greater ambivalence in their response to external authority. It is concluded that elite dancers do share certain traits in common, and that identifying personality characteristics that are important to success in dance may provide both students and their teachers with insight for enhancing performance.

Attention and Performance in Miniature Golf Across the Life Span

Highly skilled adolescent (15-19 years), young (25-35 years), middle-aged (50-57 years), and older (58-73 years) miniature golf players were examined in training and competitive conditions. Number of shots, heart rate, ratings of anxiety, and concentration time were registered. IN addition, two attentional subscales from the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) inventory (Nideffer, 1976) were administered. Results indicated (a) parallel increases of heart rate and rated anxiety in competition for all age groups, (b) improvement of motor performance in competition for adolescent and young-adult players, and deterioration of motor performance in competition for middle-aged and older players, and (c) increased concentration time for the two younger samples, and decreased concentration time for the two older samples in competition. As well, the TAIS data indicated greater self-perceived external and internal distractability in the two older, compared to the two younger samples. This age-related vulnerability to distractions was shown to partly mediate age differences in competitive motor performance. The overall pattern of outcome is discussed relative to the view that the adult aging process is associated with a deficit in the ability to handle situations of high arousal due to age-related deficits in a variety of basic cognitive capacities.

The Factorial Validity of the TAIS Attentional-Style Subscales

The factorial validity of the attentional-style subscales of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) have recently been questioned, although the evidence is only indirect. This study aimed to examine, directly, the factorial validity of these scales and to cross-validate the results. Two samples of 210 first-year psychology students responded to the 52 items comprising the attention-related subscales of the TAIS. A multidimensional confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA) was conducted on the interitem covariance matrix to test the measurement model underlying the six subscales. The MCFA results failed to support the model. Furthermore, internal consistency coefficients and item-total coefficients also supported the view that many of the subscales have insufficient factorial validity. Of the 52 items, 44% correlated better with at least one subscale other than their own, which indicates poor discriminant validity. Analysis of item content reveals some explanation for the poor discriminant validity. All results were cross-validated with the second sample.

Attentional Style and Basketball Performance

The Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) has been used to examine the attention-performance relationship in sport with mixed results. However, sport-specific versions of the TAIS attentional subscales appear to provide improved measurement of attentional processes in sport. The present study farther evaluated the utility of a sport-specific TAIS. A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between attentional style and competitive trait anxiety. The TAIS and a basketball-specific form (BB-TAIS) were administered to 110 basketball players classified into three skill-level groups. Both instruments were psychometrically similar. The bandwidth dimension was supported, although it appeared to be multidimensional. The validity of the direction dimension, however, remains inconclusive. Neither instrument was able to reliably discriminate between basketball players of different skill levels. Predicted relationships, however, were obtained between the BB-TAIS subscales and measures of competitive trait anxiety. The use of the TAIS as a research instrument for examining attentional styles in sport is questioned.

Use of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) in Sport

Over the past 15 years the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) has become increasingly popular in the sport psychology area. More recently, investigators factor-analyzing the six TAIS attentional scales and the information processing scale have raised serious questions about the independence of these measures. Specifically, they have suggested that the six attentional scales measured by the TAIS can be collapsed into two scales, one reflecting scanning (BET, BIT, INFP) and one reflecting the focusing of attention (NAR, OET, OIT). All of the studies reported on can be shown to have methodological flaws and to have drawn inappropriate conclusions from their analyses. Evidence is provided in the paper demonstrating the independence of the TAIS scales. Suggestions are made for avoiding the methodological and interpretive problems that have permeated the literature.

The Basketball Concentration Survey: Preliminary Development and Validation

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a sport-specific version of Nideffer’s (1976a) Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS), specifically in regard to the sport of basketball. Collegiate basketball players (N = 43) participated in the research, 20 males and 23 females. The subjects were administered two instruments, the original TAIS and the Basketball Concentration Survey (BCS). The items contained in the BCS were a conversion of the 59 pertinent items contained in the original. The instruments were administered early in the season and the results were correlated with nine seasonal performance variables ranging from field-goal percentage to total number of steals. The results show the BCS to have significant reliability as well as significantly accounting for performance variability. The BCS had highly significant correlations with seven of the nine performance variables.

Attentional Styles in Rugby Players

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between scores on the attentional subscales of Nideffer's Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) and playing standard, age, and position played within the sport of rugby. 144 male volunteer rugby players from the Vancouver Island Rugby Union were tested. The sample included 72 above average rugby players and 72 of average playing standard who were further classified by age: 24 under 19 yr. (U.19), 24 under 23 yr. (U.23), and 24 senior. Four specific positional groups were identified within the sample: Tight Five ( n = 56), Backrow ( n = 24), Halfbacks ( n = 20), and Outside Backs ( n = 44). A series of two-way multivariate analyses of variance gave no significant differences between the two different playing standards except for age. The senior group differed from both the U.19 and U.23 groups on narrowing. In addition, significant differences were also observed between the Halfbacks and the remaining positional groups (Tight Five, Backrow, and Threequarters) on two of the six measures, they demonstrated greater broad-external focus and less internal overload. It was concluded that the Halfbacks, who are the decision makers within the team, reflected most closely Nideffer's concept of an effective attentional style and the attentional subscales did discriminate minimally between rugby players of different ages and playing position.

Psychological prediction of injury in elite swimmers.

Previous research has suggested that psychological factors related to attention and anxiety may identify the injury-prone athlete. In particular, there is some evidence in endurance events that those who utilize a cognitive strategy which associates with sensory feedback pertaining to pace, effort, and fatigue are less likely to be injured. This study investigated the relationship between injury rate and scores on Nideffer's Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) in 33 elite swimmers resident at the Australian Institute of Sport throughout 1986. The data showed that 56% of the injuries were gradual in onset and resulted from the inability of the swimmer to absorb stress particularly in the upper limbs (overuse). Although these and other intrinsic injuries might theoretically be lower in those with effective internal attentional styles, the data did not support this. Contrary to prediction, the analysis revealed that swimmers with more effective attentional profiles sustained more injuries. Although a number of explanations were offered, the sensitivity of the TAIS to assess appropriate attentional profiles in swimmers was questioned. Future research is suggested which adopts a multidimensional approach in which psychological, physiologic, and situational determinants of injury can be examined. In this way, the contribution of psychological factors to the genesis of swimming injuries can be determined and intervention strategies developed to reduce injury and accelerate recovery.

Generality and Specificity of Attention Belated to Competitive Anxiety and Sport Performance

The Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) was developed as an objective measure by which an individual's attentional predisposition could be identified and used to predict performance on a variety of tasks. The present study had three purposes: (a) to construct a baseball/softball batting (B-TAIS) version of each TAIS attentional subscale, (b) to compare TAIS and B-TAIS reliability, and (c) to compare TAIS and B-TAIS validity. Both instruments were administered to 29 intercollegiate baseball and softball players. The B-TAIS demonstrated slightly higher test-restest reliability on five of the six attentional subscales and was higher than the TAIS in internal consistency on all subscales. Batting performance was positively related to all B-TAIS subscales assessing effective attentional deployment and negatively related to all subscales assessing ineffective attention. Significant positive correlations also existed between B-TAIS ineffective subscale scores and competitive trait anxiety. However, these relationships were not found with the general TAIS.

Issues in the Use of Psychological Tests in Applied Settings

This study examined the effects that varying subjects’ response sets on the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) had on predictive validity. Fifteen elite divers took the TAIS under two response conditions. Initially they answered the items without a specific set or comparison group in mind. The second time they were instructed to compare themselves with other elite divers. It was hypothesized that by telling divers who to compare themselves to and by providing them with a situation-specific response set, this would increase the correlations between performance and TAIS scores. The implications and consequences of response set manipulations are discussed.

Attentional Style Profiles and Sport Performance

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between attentional style profiles of cricketers as measured by Nideffer's (1977) Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) and a performance component, playing level. A method of scoring and comparing attentional style profiles was developed. Cricket players (N = 68) at three different skill levels served as subjects. Results revealed that higher level players exhibited a higher proportion of profiles predicted to be associated with superior performance in fast-ball games, and lower proportions of inappropriate profiles, than the lowest playing levels subjects. The present results provide support for the use of attentional profile scores as a predictor of sport performance.

Personality variables in males as they relate to differences in sexual orientation.

This study investigated personality variable differences among men of different sexual orientations. One hundred-fourteen males completed a demographic sheet, the Sexual Screening Questionnaire (SSQ), the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale, and the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS). The SSQ screened subjects into one of three categories: heterosexual, bisexual, or homosexual. It was hypothesized that, based on TAIS scores, bisexuals would describe themselves as being more attentionally unfocused and more anxious, and as having lower self-esteem than the other two groups. One-way analyses of the variance (ANOVA) of these hypotheses failed to produce significant results. A post-hoc multiple discriminant function analysis revealed that the heterosexual group was significantly more competitive both physically and interpersonally, and that the bisexual group displayed significant difficulty focusing their attention in a disciplined way.

Attentional Style Variations and Athletic Ability: The Advantages of a Sports-specific Test

Cognitive attentional processes in tennis players of varying skill levels were investigated. A tennis-specific version of Nideffer's Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (T-TAIS) was constructed using a rationale approach to test construction and compared with the parent TAIS. Tennis players (N=90) judged to be either beginning, intermediate, or advanced sewed as subjects. The T-TAIS had higher test-retest and internal consistency reliability coefficients, indicating it was a more accurate indicator of attentional style than the TAIS. Correlational and factor analysis data from the T-TAIS partially supported Nideffer's attentional dimension of bandwidth (narrow to broad attention) but did not support the direction dimension (internal to external). Instead, bandwidth was viewed as multidimensional, consisting of a scanning and focusing component. The T-TAIS showed a much more consistent relationship to tennis ability than the TAIS. This was particularly evident in the increments in the scanning factor subscale scores as a function of increases in tennis skill. T-TAIS subscale scores also were better predictors of match play than TAIS subscales. Results were consistent with current theories of attentional mechanisms and knowledge of skills required to play tennis. Data also indicated that sports-specific measures of attention are more precise estimates of attentional processes than is a general assessment instrument.