Relationship Between Attentional Types and Cognitive Interference in Shooters

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify attentional types and cognitive interference profiles among competitive shooters and to examine whether specific attentional types predict cognitive interference during competition. Method: A total of 353 male and female shooters, comprising high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, participated in the study. Data were collected via in-person and online surveys using the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) and the Thought Occurrence Questionnaire for Sport (TOQ-S). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis, with the significance level set at α=.05. Results: Three principal findings were observed. First, both male and female players showed higher levels of narrow external attention relative to other attentional types, and elite athletes exhibited overall higher attentional capacity than non-elite athletes. No statistically significant differences were found by gender; however, significant differences were observed by performance level ( p<.001). Second, female and non-elite players exhibited significantly higher levels of cognitive interference during competition compared to male ( p<.001) and elite players ( p<.001), respectively. Third, attentional type significantly predicted the level of cognitive interference, with narrow-internal attention exerting the greatest negative effect. Conclusion: These findings generally support Nideffer’s attention theory and the attentional vulnerability perspective of cognitive interference. Practical implications for athletic performance enhancement and directions for future research are discussed.