Comments on: Develop a New Habit? Give me 21 days, and I’ll give you… three weeks http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/ Investigations on the Psycho-Spiritual Life Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:49:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: sashen http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-33627 sashen Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:54:17 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-33627 Oh, the complete article is at http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Imagining+instructions:+mental+practice+in+highly+cognitive+domains-a0136262133 Oh, the complete article is at http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Imagining+instructions:+mental+practice+in+highly+cognitive+domains-a0136262133

]]> By: sashen http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-33626 sashen Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:53:54 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-33626 Hey, nobody... Thanks for the pointer. The full article is interesting "Driskell et al. concluded that while mental practice had a moderate and significant impact on performance, this effect tended to be weaker on average than physical practice... "The smaller impact of mental practice on physical performance tasks was particularly determined by the extent to which the task had a high strength component, and to a lesser extent by the presence of a coordination component... "the longer someone mentally practices, the less beneficial it becomes... "mental practice gains are more due to the opportunity to practice the symbolic elements of a motor task than to muscle activation itself." Now, keep in mind that the physical actions they're talking about are: "highly overlearned or trivial aspects, such as writing down the results of arithmetic mentation." In fact, the rest of the article talks almost entirely about cognitive aspects and certainly not about something like free throws, golf putting, or lawn darts. Hey, nobody…

Thanks for the pointer. The full article is interesting

“Driskell et al. concluded that while mental practice had a moderate and significant impact on performance, this effect tended to be weaker on average than physical practice…

“The smaller impact of mental practice on physical performance tasks was particularly determined by the extent to which the task had a high strength component, and to a lesser extent by the presence of a coordination component…

“the longer someone mentally practices, the less beneficial it becomes…

“mental practice gains are more due to the opportunity to practice the symbolic elements of a motor task than to muscle activation itself.”

Now, keep in mind that the physical actions they’re talking about are: “highly overlearned or trivial aspects, such as writing down the results of arithmetic mentation.” In fact, the rest of the article talks almost entirely about cognitive aspects and certainly not about something like free throws, golf putting, or lawn darts.

]]> By: nobody http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-33622 nobody Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:14:28 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-33622 I second that the 21 days thing is a myth. That's how I found this blog entry, while trying to track it down. About visualization, I don't know if the visualizing basketball players were <i>better</i>, but visualization clearly does help. A review article summarizing the vast research on visualization in sports: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119161630/abstract It's a fascinating read, perhaps you may enjoy it. I second that the 21 days thing is a myth. That’s how I found this blog entry, while trying to track it down.

About visualization, I don’t know if the visualizing basketball players were better, but visualization clearly does help. A review article summarizing the vast research on visualization in sports:

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/119161630/abstract

It’s a fascinating read, perhaps you may enjoy it.

]]> By: Stacy http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-24559 Stacy Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:32:07 +0000 http://sashen.com/blog/59/you-give-me-21-days-and-ill-give-you-three-weeks/#comment-24559 The 21 day idea appears in "Psychocybernetics" by Maxwell Maltz. If I were on a real computer and not my phone I would track that down further. Maybe I will bop by a bookstore or library later. The 21 day idea appears in “Psychocybernetics” by Maxwell Maltz. If I were on a real computer and not my phone I would track that down further. Maybe I will bop by a bookstore or library later.

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