Anxiety, expertise, and visual search strategy in karate

The effects of anxiety and expertise on visual search strategy in karate we re examined. Expert and novice karate performers moved in response to taped karate offensive sequences presented under low (LB) and high anxiety (HA). Expert performers exhibited superior anticipation under LA and HA. No diff erences were observed between groups in number of fixations, mean fixation duration, or total number of fixation locations per trial. Participants dis played scan paths ascending and descending the centerline of the body, with primary fixations on head and chest regions. Participants demonstrated bet ter performance under HA than under LA. Anxiety had a significant effect on search strategy, highlighted by changes in mean fixation duration and an i ncrease in number of fixations and total number of fixation locations per t rial. Increased search activity was more pronounced in novices, with fixati ons moving from central to peripheral body locations. These changes in sear ch strategy with anxiety might be caused by peripheral narrowing or increas ed susceptibility to peripheral distracters.