Talent selection programmes choose athletes for talent development pathways. Currently, the set of psychosocial variables that determine talent selection in youth Rugby Union are unknown, with the literature almost exclusively focusing on physiological variables. The purpose of this study was to use a novel machine learning approach to identify the physiological and psychosocial models that predict selection to a regional age-grade rugby union team. Age-grade club rugby players (n = 104; age, 15.47 ± 0.80; U16, n = 62; U18, n = 42) were assessed for physiological and psychosocial factors during regional talent selection days. Predictive models (selected vs. non-selected) were created for forwards, backs, and across all players using Bayesian machine learning. The generated physiological models correctly classified 67.55% of all players, 70.09% of forwards, and 62.50% of backs. Greater hand-grip strength, faster 10 m and 40 m sprint, and power were common features for selection. The generated psychosocial models correctly classified 62.26% of all players, 73.66% of forwards, and 60.42% of backs. Reduced burnout, reduced emotional exhaustion, and lower reduced sense of accomplishment, were common features for selection. Selection appears to be predominantly based on greater strength, speed, and power, as well as lower athlete burnout.

Via three experiments, we investigated heightened anxiety's effect on the offline planning and online correction of upper-limb target-directed aiming movements. In Experiment 1, the majority of task trials allowed for the voluntary distribution of offline planning and online correction to achieve task success, while a subset of cursor jump trials necessitated the use of online correction to achieve task success. Experiments 2 and 3 replicated and elaborated Experiment 1 by assessing movement-specific reinvestment propensity and manipulating the self-control resources of par-ticipants. This allowed more detailed inference of cognitive resource utilisation to tease apart the effects of conscious processing and distraction-based anxiety mechanisms. For the first time, we demonstrate that: anxiety-induced online-to-offline motor control shifts can be overridden when the need for online correction is necessitated (i.e., in jump trials); anxiety-induced online-to-offline shifts seem to be positively predicted by conscious processing propensity; and optimal spatial efficacy of limb information-based online correction seems to require cognitive resources. We conclude that long-standing definitions of limb information-based online correction require revision, and that both conscious processing and distraction theories appear to play a role in determining the control strategies of anxiety induced upper limb target directed aiming movements.

This study aimed to investigate how variation in iris color, along with ethnic origin, affects color vision. For color vision deficiency screening, the Ishihara, D-15, and D-15d tests were employed. Chromatic discrimination was assessed in normal trichromats using the Cambridge Colour Test (CCT). Three groups were tested: light-eyed White (N = 30), hazel-eyed White (N = 30), and brown-eyed Black (N = 29). Black observers revealed significantly higher CCT measures—protan and tritan thresholds (Trivector) and Ellipse measures (major axis, axis ratio, and angle); no significant differences were found between the two White observer groups. We attribute Black observers’ subtle tritan-type impairment to prereceptoral factors, in particular, the higher optical density of the macular pigment, which filters out short-wavelength light, affecting S-cone-mediated chromatic discrimination, and, also, is likely to reduce retinal illuminance. The elevated protan thresholds are discussed in relation to the receptoral level; considered are possible causes of genetically determined L-cone characteristics in observers of African descent.

Prolonged movement time as a function of task difficulty (as defined by the Index of Difficulty [ID]) can be equally prevalent within executed and imagined movements ─ something referred to as the mental chronometry effect. This effect has been leveraged as support for functional equivalence, where an internal representation can be shared for execution and imagery. However, times tend to rise exponentially more for imagined, compared to executed, movements, which could be attributed to the time spent within a task. Fifteen participants attempted execution and imagery of a reciprocal aiming movement between two targets that assumed different levels of ID (4, 5, 6 bits). They did this either over 3 or 5 cycles of movement to generate short- and long-duration movements, respectively. Mean times and time-ID slope/gradient coefficients revealed that the time within imagery was generally no longer than execution. However, the rise in time as a function of ID tended to be even greater when undertaking 3 compared to 5 cycles within imagery, but not execution. Overall, these findings may counter the suggestion that time spent within imagery is positively related to duration. However, further research is perhaps warranted to help formulate broader recommendations for imagery across different durations.