Selective Attention Techniques: Applying Athletic Distraction Filtering Models to Workplace Performance
Keywords:
Athletic focus attention, Attention, Concentration, BrainAbstract
Cognitive processes function as the brain's regulatory hub, controlling attention and decision-making against various environmental stimuli, no matter competitors or notifications and urgent jobs. Through the refinement of selective attention, individuals can prioritize essential data and suppress distractors, effectively lowering the cognitive load to ensure accurate and rapid execution under pressure or tight schedules. Integrating mental conditioning techniques—akin to those used by elite athletes—primes the brain for complex information processing and develops cognitive skills conducive to deep analytical thinking, problem-solving, and systematic retrieval. This cognitive evolution not only bolsters working memory for multitasking but also reinforces long-term memory for technical proficiency, resulting in sustained excellence and maximized operational efficiency.
References
กันต์ธนัท วงษ์สิริมนตรี, ธนากร พงษ์ภู่, และประกาศ ปาวา ทองสว่าง. (2567). ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างปัจจัย ส่วนบุคคลกับการจัดการความเครียดทางกีฬาของนักกีฬาจักรยาน. วารสารวิชาการมหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ, 16(2), 59-68.
กรมพลศึกษา. (2557). การฝึกทักษะจิตใจสำหรับนักกีฬา. กระทรวงการท่องเที่ยวและกีฬา.
คณิน จินตนาปราโมทย์ และพรชัย สิทธิศรัณย์กุล. (2562). สรีรวิทยาความเครียดจากการทำงานและการแก้ปัญหาเมื่อเผชิญความเครียดในอาชีพแพทย์. วารสารการแพทย์และวิทยาศาสตร์สุขภาพ, 26(2), 112-123.
สุพัชริน เขมรัตน์. (2565). การฝึกทักษะจิตใจสำหรับนักกีฬา. สำนักพิมพ์มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์.
Aryani, S. M., Kusumawanto, A., & Suryabrata, J. A. (2020). Lighting in the workplace as the visual environment that affect the occupant’s mood: A literature review. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Dwelling Form (IDWELL 2020) (Vol. 475, pp. 1–11). Atlantis Press. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.201009.001
Bentley, T. G. K., D’Andrea-Penna, G., Rakic, M., Arce, N., LaFaille, M., Berman, R., Cooley, K., & Sprimont, P. (2023). Breathing practices for stress and anxiety reduction: Conceptual framework of implementation guidelines based on a systematic review of the published literature. Brain Sciences, 13(12), 1612. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13121612
Baladron, J., Vitay, J., Fietzek, T., & Hamker, F. H. (2023). The contribution of the basal ganglia and cerebellum to motor control. PLOS Computational Biology, 19(4), Article e1011024. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011024
Brain and Life Center. (ม.ป.ป.). ความจำระยะสั้นเกี่ยวกับการมองเห็น (Visual Short-Term Memory). https://brainandlifecenter.com/visual-shortterm-memory/
Buchbinder, B. (2025). The impact of sports on working and long-term memory [Unpublished Master’s thesis]. University of Oregon.
Buschman, T. J., & Kastner, S. (2015). From behavior to neural dynamics: An integrated theory of attention. Neuron, 88(1), 127–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.017
Corbetta, M., & Shulman, G. L. (2002). Control of goal-directed and stimulus-driven attention in the brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 3(3), 201–215. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn755
Ebner, T. J., Pasalar, S., & Roitman, A. V. (2008). Cerebellum predicts the future motor state. The Cerebellum, 7(4), 583–588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-008-0059-3
Giesbrecht, B. (2024). Physically activated modes of attentional control. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 28(5), 412–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.01.008
Guy William Fincham, Clara Strauss, Jesus Montero Marin and Kate Cavanagh (2023). Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: A meta analysis of randomized – controlled trials.Scientific Reports, 13, Article 432. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-27247-y
Ihsan, F., Nasrulloh, A., Nugroho, S., & Yuniana, R. (2024). Mental training strategies in improving sport performance: A literature review. Polish Journal of Physiotherapy, 24(3), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.56984/8ZG020ATIP
Lutz, A., Slagter, H. A., Rawlings, N. B., Francis, A. D., Greischar, L. L., & Davidson, R. J. (2009). Mental training enhances attentional stability: Neural dynamics. The Journal of Neuroscience, 29(42), 13418–13427. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1614-09.2009
McGregor, P. (2023). Understanding concentration, attention and focus. UK Coaching. https://www.ukcoaching.org/resources/topics/guides/understanding-concentration-attention-and-focus
Migliaccio, G. M., Russo, L., Maric, M., & Padulo, J. (2023). Sports performance and breathing rate: What is the connection? A narrative review on breathing strategies. Sports, 11(5), Article103. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports11050103
Moore, T., & Zirnsak, M. (2017). Neural mechanisms of selective visual attention. Annual Review of Psychology, 68, 47–72. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-122414-033400
Nanay, B. (2023). Mental imagery: Philosophy, psychology, neuroscience. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198809500.001.0001
Pakulanon, S. (2016). The effective imagery use for athletes. Journal of Sports Science and Health, 17(1), 1–11.
Piatysotska, S., Podrigalo, L., Romanenko, V., Melnyk, A., Halashko, V., & Koval, S. (2023). Study of short-term visual memory of athletes in cyclic sports, martial arts and esports. Physical Education of Students, 27(6), 268–276. https://doi.org/10.15561/20755279.2023.0602
Piatysotska, S., Podrigalo, L., Romanenko, V., Ashanin, V., Aleksienko, Y., & Aleksieieva, I. (2024). Exploring the short-term visual memory of esports athletes across various levels of expertise. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 24(1), 103–112. https://doi.org/10.7752/jpes.2024.01014
Roth, R. H. (2024). Cortico-basal ganglia plasticity in motor learning [Review]. Current Opinion1 in Neurobiology, 85, Article 102845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2024.102845
Shenhav, A., Botvinick, M. M., & Cohen, J. D. (2013). The expected value of control: An integrative theory of anterior cingulate cortex function. Neuron, 79(2), 217–240.
Simons, D. J., & Galotti, K. M. (1992). Everyday planning: An analysis of daily time management. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society, 30(1), 61–64. https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03330397
Snyder, A. C., & Foxe, J. J. (2010). Anticipatory attentional set and the role of the intraparietal sulcus in task performance. Journal of Neuroscience, 30(22), 7526–7532. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0543-10.2010
Subedi, K. R. (2022). Cognition in the psychological perspectives. ResearchGate. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.29414.70720
Schack, T., & Mechsner, F. (2006). Representation of motor skills in human long-term memory. Neuroscience Letters, 391(3), 77–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2005.10.009
Tan, J. B., Smith, A. B., Jones, C. D., & Williams, E. F. (2024). The engagement of the cerebellum and basal ganglia enhances expertise in a sensorimotor adaptation task. Imaging Neuroscience, 2, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00000
Tokushige, S., Matsuda, S., Tada, M., Yabe, I., Takeda, A., Tanaka, H., Hatakenaka, M., Enomoto, H., Kobayashi, S., Shimizu, K., Shimizu, T., Kotsuki, N., Inomata-Terada, S., Furubayashi, T., Hanajima, R., Tsuji, S., Ugawa, Y., & Terao, Y. (2024). Roles of the cerebellum and basal ganglia in temporal integration: Insights from a synchronized tapping task. Clinical Neurophysiology, 158, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2023.11.018
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. (2025). Breathing techniques for breathlessness - Breathing control (Version 4, HIC/LFT/2443/20) [Patient information leaflet]. https://www.uhcw.nhs.uk/download/clientfiles/files/Breathing%20techniques%20(2443).pdf
Yan, X., Li, Z., & Wang, J. (2025). Enhanced dorsal attention network connectivity predicts superior motion anticipation ability in elite athletes: A task-based fMRI study. NeuroImage, 321, 120345.
Zeplin, S., Galli, N., Visek, A. J., Durham, W., & Staples, J. (2014). Concentration and attention in sport (SPORTPSYCH WORKS Vol. 2, Issue 1). American Psychological Association Division 47, Science Committee.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Christian University of Thailand
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
