Dynamic visualisations are commonly used to improve athletes’ performance in sports. However, their instructional effectiveness according to learners’ characteristics remains unclear. This study investigates the effect of visuospatial abilities (VSA) and the level of expertise on memorising an animated soccer scene. Participants (N = 96) first performed a control test to assess their level of VSA, followed then by the main test which consisted in recalling and reconstructing a displayed scene. Results indicated a main effect of the level of expertise and the level of VSA on memorisation performance. A significant interaction between these two factors was also found. Findings suggest that both VSA and the level of expertise must be considered to optimise the memorisation of dynamic visualisations in team sports.

In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of visual realism on soccer players’ memorization of soccer tactics according to their level of expertise and visuospatial abilities. We divided 48 volunteers into novice and expert soccer players and had them first perform a multitask visuospatial abilities (VSA) test and then undergo training with three dynamic soccer scenes, each presented with varied levels of realism (schematic, moderately realistic, and highly realistic). We then tested players’ memorization and reproduction of the soccer scenes and measured their visual processing with eye-tracking glasses to identify their cognitive processes during memorization. We found that reducing visual realism improved visual processing and memorization when compared to higher realism ( p < .001). Second, both higher (vs. lower) player expertise and higher (vs. lower) VSA influenced visual processing and enhanced memorization efficiency ( p < .001). Third, there were significant interaction effects between visual realism, player expertise, and player VSA ( p < .001) such that players with high VSA benefited more from reduced (vs. accentuated) visual realism than did players with low VSA. Thus, increasing visual realism can hinder tactical learning effectiveness, especially for learners who lack domain expertise and visuospatial abilities. Practically speaking, coaches and educators might improve their communications by tailoring tactical instructions to learners’ cognitive skills.

Objectives: Dynamic visualizations have become valuable assets in acquiring and improving sports skills. However, their instructional efficiency depends on their design and on learners’ cognitive abilities. Intending to improve learning sessions using these technologies, this study investigates the effects of visual realism and visuospatial abilities (VSA) on the memorization of soccer scenes. Methods: Twenty-four soccer beginners first performed a multitask VSA test followed by the memorization and reproduction of three dynamic sequences with different levels of realism. An eye-tracking system was used in the memorization phase to record gaze behavior and identify the involved cognitive processes. Results: Findings revealed that increasing visual realism disrupted learners’ memorization performance and visual processing. Moreover, learners with high-VSA were more efficient in memorizing soccer scenes than those with low-VSA and benefited more from reduced visual realism than low-VSA. Learners’ visual processing revealed that high-VSA were more focused on creating a mental representation of the content whereas low-VSA were rather visually guided when memorizing the scene. Conclusions: Results imply considering learners’ VSA and adapting presentations’ visual realism to optimize tactical learning among beginners.

Visuospatial abilities (VSA) reflect individuals' aptitude to deal with visual elements presented in space. VSA are considered to involve different abilities that can be measured with various tests. However, the number and types of tests to be considered are still being debated, especially for dynamic VSA, which have received little attention so far. In this light, this study aimed at verifying the contribution of different static and dynamic tests to the assessment of VSA among 170 adult males. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) indicated that static and dynamic VSA are distinct. This implies that VSA cannot be conceptualised as a unitary construct and that a single test cannot predict global performance. Results suggest that at least one static and one dynamic test should be considered to characterise VSA performance. Overall, this preliminary study contributes to clarifying the nature of VSA and opens avenues for future research to improve VSA assessment.