"Markov at the bat": a model of cognitive processing in baseball batters

Anecdotal evidence from players and coaches indicates that cognitive processing (e.g., expectations about the upcoming pitch) plays an important role in successful baseball batting, yet this aspect of hitting has not been investigated in detail. The present study provides experimental evidence that prior expectations significantly influence the timing of a baseball swing. A two–state Markov model was used to predict the effects of pitch sequence and pitch count on batting performance. The model is a hitting strategy of switching between expectancy states using a simple set of transition rules. In a simulated batting experiment, the model provided a good fit to the hitting performance of 6 experienced college baseball players, and the estimated model parameters were highly correlated with playing level.     

Correlations for weight, height and two measures of batting performance.

The hypothesis that heavier baseball players are better batters was examined in two correlational studies of major league baseball players' performance. Neither height nor weight was significantly correlated with batting average. Both variables correlated significantly and positively with the number of home runs hit by American League players in the 1997 season. After partial correlations were computed, only the correlation between weight and number of home runs hit remained significant.     

Behavior of college baseball players in a virtual batting task

A baseball batting simulation was used to investigate the information used to hit a baseball. Measures of spatial and temporal swing accuracy were used to test whether batters (a) use speed to estimate pitch height, (b) initiate a constant swing duration at a fixed time to contact, (c) are influenced by the history of previous pitches and pitch count, and (d) use rotation direction. Batters were experienced college players. Pitch speed variance led to predictable spatial errors, and spatial accuracy was worse than temporal accuracy. Swing duration was generally variable. The history of the previous 3 pitches and the pitch count had significant effects on accuracy, and performance improved when rotation cues were added. There were significant effects of expertise on hitting strategy.     

Discrimination of Visual Anticipation in Skilled Cricket Batsmen

This article outlines a study that sought to discriminate visual anticipation skill between highly skilled (n = 13), elite club (n = 17), and elite youth (n = 9) cricket batsmen. Participants watched a video-based temporal occlusion test of a bowler and anticipated with a motor response. Results indicated that overall highly skilled and club batsmen were significantly superior to youth batsmen. Highly skilled batsmen anticipated above chance at ball release occlusion, whereas club and youth batsmen were above chance at no occlusion. Findings indicate that video-based temporal occlusion with a motor response is sensitive to discriminate anticipation in skilled players.     

Better Late than Never? The Relationship between Ratings of Attendance,Punctuality, and Overall Job Performance among Nursing Home Employees

This study examined the relationship between lateness, absenteeism, and overall job performance among nursing home employees. We addressed four issues: (a) agreement between subordinate and superior in their ratings, (b) the stability of rated lateness and rated absenteeism over 6 months, (c) the correlation between ratings of lateness and absenteeism assigned by the worker to himself or herself and the corresponding ratings from supervisors, and (d) the relationship of rated lateness and rated absenteeism to impressions of overall job performance. Neither attendance nor punctuality showed inter‐rater agreement between the worker and his/her supervisor on either of the two occasions. Ratings of attendance were not stable across time for either the subordinate (r=.16) or the supervisor (r=.04), but punctuality ratings showed moderate temporal stability over 6 months for both subordinate (r=.59) and supervisor (r=. 41) impressions. On the first administration of the rating form, attendance and punctuality were not significantly correlated to each other in either the workers' self‐ratings (r=.17) nor the supervisors' ratings of the workers (r=.08). On the second administration, however, these two facets were moderately correlated with each other in both workers' (r=.54) and supervisors' (r=. 39) impressions of employee behavior. Compared with attendance, punctuality was somewhat more highly correlated with impressions of overall job performance from the perspective of the worker herself/himself as well as the supervisor.     

Pitching and clutch hitting in Major League Baseball: What 109 years of statistics reveal

ObjectivesTheory on performance under pressure in sport has proposed that an athlete may be disrupted psychologically when distracted, or when explicitly monitoring too much the skills involved (Beilock & Carr, 2001; Masters, 1992). Research has also suggested that the extent to which an athlete allows pressure to impact performance may be greater for skills of increased complexity, such as hitting a baseball (Kinrade, Jackson, Ashford, & Bishop, 2010; Masters, Polman, & Hammond, 1993). Accordingly, hypotheses for the current study were that baseball hitters would be more susceptible to pressure-induced performance changes than pitchers, whose skills are less based in hand-eye coordination.Design & methodAn archival design was employed, accounting for 109 years of historical baseball data at both the team and individual levels.ResultsIn line with hypotheses, for players with a minimum of 10 postseason innings pitched in a single year (n = 835) pitching statistics were significantly correlated from regular season (less pressure) to postseason (more pressure). For those with a minimum of 20 postseason at bats in a year (n = 1731), hitting statistics were similarly correlated from season to postseason; overall, however, the weakest such relationship was batting average. For teams (n = 370), regular season pitching was expected to be the best predictor of postseason success rates; this hypothesis was supported, but only for the most recent era of baseball history (1995–2011).ConclusionsThe data imply that, while hitting should not be wholly neglected, a successful, clutch baseball team should be built primarily around pitching.     

Dynamic vision training transfers positively to batting practice performance among collegiate baseball batters

A growing body of evidence demonstrates visual, perceptual, and oculomotor abilities contribute to batting performance in baseball and there is interest in whether training such abilities can transfer positively to batting performance. The current study tested this question through a pre-registered, randomized, and placebo-controlled intervention, conducted with 24 collegiate baseball players at two NCAA Division 1 universities. Athletes were randomized to receive either dynamic vision training consisting of stroboscopic, anticipatory timing, and eye quickness drills, or placebo drills stylized after control procedures in previous vision therapy studies. Generalized near-transfer was tested via a digital visual-motor task battery (n = 20), while sports-specific intermediate and far transfer of training were evaluated through instrumented batting practice metrics (n = 14) and box score performance in NCAA-sanctioned games (n = 12), respectively. The effects of training group were tested on these outcome measures while controlling for covariates such as pre-training expectations and site. Participants averaged 8.50 hours of training with no significant group differences in training adherence, expectations, or baseline assessments. ANCOVA revealed no group differences in measures of visual-motor skills or NCAA game statistics. However, batting practice demonstrated significant improvements in launch angle (p = 0.002, Cohen’s d = 0.74) and hit distance (p < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 0.70) for the active training cohort relative to the placebo control. This controlled and pre-registered pilot study therefore provides preliminary evidence that vision training may improve batting practice performance, creating new opportunities for the transfer of skill training and warranting further study.     

Assessing inattention and impulsivity in children during the Go/NoGo task

Behavioural performance in the Go/NoGo task was compared with caregiver and teacher reports of inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity in 1,151 children (N=557 boys; N=594 girls) age 9–10 years old. Errors of commission (NoGo errors) were significantly correlated with symptom counts of hyperactivity‐impulsivity, while errors of omission (Go errors) were significantly correlated with symptom counts for inattention in both caregiver and teacher reports. Cross‐correlations were also evident, however, such that errors of commission were related to inattention symptoms, and errors of omission were related to hyperactivity‐impulsivity. Moreover, hyperactivity‐impulsivity and inattention symptoms were highly intercorrelated in both caregiver (r=.52) and teacher reports (r=.70), while errors of commission and omission were virtually uncorrelated in the Go/NoGo task (r=.06). The results highlight the difficulty in disentangling hyperactivity‐impulsivity and inattention in questionnaires, and suggest that these constructs may be more clearly distinguished in laboratory measures such as the Go/NoGo task.     

Assessment of the life stress-depression relationship: The use of social support as a moderator variable

Two hundred and fifty-two undergraduates completed a modified version of the Life Experience Survey (LES), the Beck Depression Inventory (Revised), and a measure of social support. Correlations between negative and total life changes on the LES and the Beck were significant for individuals with high social support (r=.36 and .29), but these correlations were significantly higher for individuals with low social support (r=.67 and .66). In addition, positive LES scores were significantly correlated with the Beck for individuals with low social support (r=.37), and individuals with low social support had higher mean scores on the Beck,F(1,250)=20.72,p<.0001. These findings were interpreted as supporting the theory of Holmes and Rahe and Sarason and Johnson that aversive life changes are related to depression, and provide evidence for the view the positive life changes can also be stressful. These data also support the concept of individual differences in vulnerability to stress and the role of social support in this vulnerability. The use of social support as a moderator variable appears to enhance correlations between the LES and depression to the level of clinical utility.     

The Effect of Disguise on Novice and Expert Tennis Players’ Anticipation Ability

Skilled performers interpret cues in the preparatory movements of their opponents to anticipate future events in many sports. Little work has tested whether these cues can be disguised. Using a temporal occlusion paradigm, this paper examines the effect of disguise on an Australian sample of expert (16 male, 2 female, age M = 24.67, SD = 9.47 years) and novice players’ (24 male, 38 female, age M = 22.26, SD = 5.24 years) anticipation of tennis ground strokes. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that expert anticipation was more accurate than novice overall (p < .001), and disguise reduced accuracy (p = .001). The disguise effect differed by expertise across occlusion points (p = .027). The experts’ anticipatory advantage was removed by disguise at 40 ms before contact. Novice performance was significantly below chance for disguise shots occluded at contact. These results indicate that disguise is an important topic for research and practice.     

Psychology and “The Babe”

Psychologists and baseball players were among those Americans who formed professional associations in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Psychologists used laboratory tasks to quantify mental and behavioral processes while sportswriters and baseball organizers measured individual and team performance. The most popular baseball player of the 1920s, George Herman “Babe” Ruth, possessed superior batting skills that were evident in the statistical indices of baseball performance. In 1921, he was brought to the psychological laboratory at Columbia University to perform standard laboratory tasks in an effort to discover the basis for his success in hitting home runs and to suggest the potential of tests for identifying future baseball stars. Baseball's addiction to quantitative indices of performance was thus brought together with a new science devoted to quantitative assessment and a desire to make such assessments useful. The attempt to analyze the basis of Ruth's batting skills is part of the history of applied psychology, sport psychology, and popular interest in the science of psychology. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A moderate financial incentive can increase effort,but not intelligence test performance in adult volunteers

A positive correlation between self-reported test-taking motivation and intelligence test performance has been reported. Additionally, some financial incentive experimental evidence suggests that intelligence test performance can be improved, based on the provision of financial incentives. However, only a small percentage of the experimental research has been conducted with adults. Furthermore, virtually none of the intelligence experimental research has measured the impact of financial incentives on test-taking motivation. Consequently, we conducted an experiment with 99 adult volunteers who completed a battery of intelligence tests under two conditions: no financial incentive and financial incentive (counterbalanced). We also measured self-reported test-taking importance and effort at time 1 and time 2. The financial incentive was observed to impact test-taking effort statistically significantly. By contrast, no statistically significant effects were observed for the intelligence test performance scores. Finally, the intelligence test scores were found to correlate positively with both test-taking importance (r_c = .28) and effort (r_c = .37), although only effort correlated uniquely with intelligence (partial r_c = .26). In conjunction with other empirical research, it is concluded that a financial incentive can increase test-taking effort. However, the potential effects on intelligence test performance in adult volunteers seem limited.     

A Chaining-Mastery,Discrimination Training Program to Teach Little Leaguers to Hit a Baseball

One of two little league baseball teams, consisting of boys between the ages of 8 and 12, was taught to hit a baseball using a chaining-mastery program extrapolated from the "Total Golf" (Simek & O'Brien, 1981) program. Following two baseline games and a baseline measurement session, 10 of the 12 boys on the experimental team participated in a chaining-mastery batting program, beginning with slow pitches from close to the batter and progressing to normal speed pitches from the regulation distance. Both game performance and a repeat of the baseline measures following Game 6 showed large increases in the number of hits. The control team showed no such increases. Following Game 6, a program of discrimination training for hitable balls (strikes) was instituted with the experimental team using a mastery approach to produce earlier discriminations of strikes from balls. Number of bases on balls increased for Games 7 through 10 after remaining stable for the first 6 games. For the control team, bases on balls increased during Games 3 through 6, but remained stable for Games 7 through 10. Batting averages revealed similar improvement for the experimental team from a baseline of .250 to .342 for Games 3 through 6, and .369 for Games 7 through 10, and no improvement for the control team (baseline = .281, Games 3 through 6 = .230, Games 7 through 10 = .230). Two members of the experimental team rejected the chaining-discrimination training program in favor of practice in "guided positive fantasy" for batting skills, which was provided by the father of one of the boys. These two boys showed little improvement on the dependent measures. The results suggest that a program of chaining-mastery instruction for batting and discrimination training for pitch selection can be effective in teaching little leaguers to hit.     

Effects of Response Instructions on Faking a Situational Judgment Test

A situational judgment test (SJT) and a Big 5 personality test were administered to 203 participants under instructions to respond honestly and to fake good using a within‐subjects design. Participants indicated both the best and worst response (i.e., Knowledge) and the most likely and least likely response (i.e., Behavioral Tendency) to each situation. Faking effect size for the SJT Behavioral Tendency response format was (d=.34) when participants responded first under honest instructions and (d=.15) when they responded first under faking instructions. Those for the Big 5 dimensions ranged from d=.26 to d=1.0. For the Knowledge response format results were inconsistent. Honest condition Knowledge SJT scores were more highly correlated with cognitive ability (r=.56) than were Behavioral Tendency SJT scores (r=.38). Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

Crime behaviours and distance travelled in homicides and rapes

We explored (1) distances between home and offence in homicides and rapes; (2) whether these distances differed from each other; and (3) whether offence features were associated with distances. The sample consisted of solved homicides (N = 40) and rapes (N = 37) from Finland with co‐ordinates for offence and offender home locations and information on crime features. Empirical models of incident density as a function of distance were estimated using CrimeStat III (Levine, 2004). Most of the distances were short displaying distance decay. Homicide median distance was 0.85km (Inter Quartile Range (IQR) = 0.13–7.69km) and rape median distance 2.44km (IQR = 0.83–6.96km) from perpetrators' home location. These distances differed significantly (Mann‐Whitney U = 543.0, p < 0.045). It was possible to identify crime features that were correlated with distances in both offence types. Spatial Behaviour Indices combining crime feature information correlated r_s = 0.77 with distance in homicides and r_s = 0.72 in rapes. Identifying theoretical constructs for understanding links between different crime features instead of looking at them in isolation is important. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Differential Daily Writing Conditions and Performance on Major Multiple-Choice Exams

Students (N=153) in three equivalent sections of an undergraduate human development course compared pairs of related concepts via either written or oral discussion at the beginning of most class sessions. A writing-for-random-credit section achieved significantly higher ratings on the writing activities than did a writing-for-no-credit section. The writing-for-random-credit section also obtained significantly higher correlations between the writing ratings and scores on multiple-choice exam items related to the conceptual pairs (r=.74) and on total exam scores (r=.78) than did the writing-for-no-credit section (rs=.45 and .43, respectively). Finally, the writing-for-random-credit condition produced significantly higher scores on exam items related to the conceptual pairs than did the oral-discussion-only condition. Plus, effect-size comparisons showed weak to medium differences between exam scores under the writing-for-random-credit and the writing-for-no-credit condition.     

Attending to the execution of a complex sensorimotor skill: expertise differences, choking, and slumps

A simulated baseball batting task was used to compare the relative effects of attending to extraneous information (tone frequency) and attending to skill execution (direction of bat movement) on performance and swing kinematics and to evaluate how these effects differ as a function of expertise. The extraneous dual task degraded batting performance in novices but had no significant effect on experts. The skill-focused dual task increased batting errors and movement variability for experts but had no significant effect on novices. For expert batters, accuracy in the skill-focused dual task was inversely related to the current level of performance. Expert batters were significantly more accurate in the skill-focused dual task when placed under pressure. These findings indicate that the attentional focus varies substantially across and within performers with different levels of expertise.     

Stability of Q-sort attachment security from age two to five

The current report demonstrates reliability and stability of Q-sort attachment security in a sample of 46 mothers and their children seen by two observers at age two and again at age four to six years. Security scores were correlated between ages (r=.44), and a high proportion of item-by-item correlations between ages were also significant.     

It’s All About Timing: An Imagery Intervention Examining Multiple Image Speed Combinations

The current quasi-experiment examined changes in youth baseball players’ (N = 9) swing performance following an imagery intervention. Athletes participated in one of three conditions, each of which employed a different combination of slow-motion (SM), real-time (RT), or fast-motion (FM) image speeds: SM?+?RT, RT?+?FM, or SM?+?RT?+?FM. A single-subject multiple-baseline design was employed. The intervention approximated the real-world environment in which baseball players practice, thus, increasing representative design. Results generally indicated positive changes across all three conditions, however, the SM?+?RT?+?FM condition exhibited the most improvement. The employment of a multiple-speed imagery intervention appears to be a viable option for young athletes.

Lay Summary: Can using a combination of slow-motion, real-time, and fast-motion imagery improve baseball batting performance? Our results suggest so! Learn more in “It’s all about timing: An imagery intervention examining multiple image speed combinations’ by @jennyo_csueb @Frank_O_Ely & @samagalas #JASP     

A Meta-Analysis of an Implicit Measure of Personality Functioning: The Mutuality of Autonomy Scale

The Mutuality of Autonomy scale (MA) is a Rorschach variable designed to capture the degree to which individuals mentally represent self and other as mutually autonomous versus pathologically destructive (Urist, 1977). Discussions of the MA's validity found in articles and chapters usually claim good support, which we evaluated by a systematic review and meta-analysis of its construct validity. Overall, in a random effects analysis across 24 samples (N = 1,801) and 91 effect sizes, the MA scale was found to maintain a relationship of r =.20, 95% CI [.16,.25], with relevant validity criteria. We hypothesized that MA summary scores that aggregate more MA response-level data would maintain the strongest relationship with relevant validity criteria. Results supported this hypothesis (aggregated scoring method: r =.24, k = 57, S = 24; nonaggregated scoring methods: r =.15, k = 34, S = 10; p =.039, 2-tailed). Across 7 exploratory moderator analyses, only 1 (criterion method) produced significant results. Criteria derived from the Thematic Apperception Test produced smaller effects than clinician ratings, diagnostic differentiation, and self-attributed characteristics; criteria derived from observer reports produced smaller effects than clinician ratings and self-attributed characteristics. Implications of the study's findings are discussed in terms of both research and clinical work.