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In this study we assessed the contribution of augmented probabilistic information on the motor behavior of novice defenders during 1 vs. 1 basketball play. More specifically, we aimed to investigate the influence of different probabilities of attacks to the basket (Level 1: High-probability of a single attack action; Level 2: Equal probability of two attack actions; Level 3: No-probability of an attack) on defensive reactions and their efficacy. Twenty-six novice participants volunteered and were assigned into three groups, based on their reaction time performance. Each participant performed 10 trials defending against typical basket attacks on a standard basketball court. Three experimental groups were primed regarding the probabilities of two forms of attack, either shooting at the basket or dribbling-past the defender (Group 1: 80% vs 20% ; Group 2: 50% vs 50% ; Group 3: No-probability of attack). Participants reacted earlier and with greater accuracy in the high-probability condition (80% vs 20%), than in the remaining conditions. We found that, in absence of kinematic information about their opponents, novice basketball players may have relied on the prior information we provided regarding an opponents' preferred actions during 1 vs. 1 basketball play. The provision of probabilistic information could be used as a training strategy to guide the defensive motor behaviors of novice basketball players when facing their counterparts in ball possession by favoring the use of anticipatory information to react earlier and successfully to the opponents' actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study examined effects of spatial stimulus–response compatibility on response time and response accuracy in 20 novice combat sport athletes. Two equivalent groups, based on initial reaction time measures, were required to perceive and move quickly and accurately in response to an unspecific visual stimulus presented on a large screen during the two types of perceptual training in eight laboratory sessions. One group reacted by moving the fist toward the stimulus location on the target (direct compatibility condition). Another group was required to move the fist away from target in the opposite direction (indirect compatibility condition). Specifically, the indirect compatibility group achieved faster reaction times than the direct compatibility group during the two posttests containing video-projected attacks of the opponents, and in one of the two posttests containing real opponents' attacks. Results seem to reveal higher combat performance against real opponents when athletes trained with an indirect stimulus–response compatibility condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]