Perception-action relationships in strategic-type settings: Covert and overt processes

In this paper, we present a new approach to studying the perception-action linkage in sport. The approach and the sport-specific paradigms associated with it are aimed at exploring the 'covert' processes underlying decision-making and decision alterations before and during the course of action execution. The approach introduced here is based on Coles' (1989) work applying the chronometric approach in various paradigms using warning and imperative stimuli (i.e. valid and invalid cueing). Coles also demonstrated the efficacy of the 'lateralized readiness potential' as a measure which reflects the correct and incorrect activation of motor responses (i.e. the covert processes underlying error elicitation). The chronometric approach, which takes into account the warning and imperative stimuli as well as action initiation, execution and alteration, is recommended for the study of expertise behaviour in sport. It is predicted that lateralized readiness potential patterns will differ between experts and novice performers. Several hypotheses are derived, and paradigms suggested, to explore the 'covert processes' underlying expertise in the motor domain.