The neural correlates of psychological momentum

Abstract

Psychological momentum has been described as an emergent pattern of competitive success. However, the psychomotor processes underlying psychological momentum have not been characterized. Method: In accord, EEG data were recorded during a head-to-head shooting competition to examine the psychomotor processes underlying psychological momentum. Given that expert level performance has been characterized by psychomotor efficiency (see Hatfield & Hillman, 2001), high levels of momentum were hypothesized to be characterized by psychomotor efficiency, as indicated by reduced task-irrelevant cortical processing (i.e., greater high alpha power and lower gamma power in T3) and reduced non-essential neural networking (i.e., lower T3-Fz low-beta coherence) relative to low levels of momentum. Results: In accordance with psychological momentum theory, the high momentum group exhibited greater self-confidence relative to the low momentum group. Contrary to the hypothesis, the high momentum group exhibited reduced high alpha power relative to the low momentum group. Discussion: As the participants were not expert performers, psychological momentum appeared to facilitate cortical dynamics indicative of superior performance given the stage of motor learning.