The effects of anxiety and strategic planning on visual search behaviour

The past decade has witnessed increased interest in the visual search behaviour of athletes. Little is known, however, about the relationship between anxiety and eye movements in sport performers or about the extent to which athletes' planned and actual visual search strategies correspond. To address these issues, we conducted two studies. In Study 1, eight expert female gymnasts were presented with three digital slides of a model performing a skill that is known to be anxiety-provoking in this sport--namely, the 'back flip' on the beam. By varying the height of the beam and the presence or absence of safety mats, the slides differed in the amount of anxiety that they elicited vicariously in the viewer. In the study, the gymnasts were asked to imagine themselves in the position of the depicted model and to describe the anxiety that they felt. As they viewed the slides, their eye movements were recorded. As predicted, anxiety was associated with an increase in the number of fixations to peripheral areas. In addition, the more 'threatening' slides elicited significantly more fixations than the less feared images. In Study 2, the plans of 15 equestrian performers (5 expert, 5 intermediate and 5 novice) were elicited as they engaged in a virtual 'walk' around a computerized show-jumping course. Contrary to expectations, the congruence between intended and actual search behaviour was not significantly greater for expert riders than for the less skilled groups. Also, the fact that the top riders allocated more fixations to slides than the less skilled performers challenged the prediction that expertise would be associated with economy of visual search. Finally, as expected, the expert riders were significantly less dependent on the overall 'course plan' than the intermediate and novice equestrian performers when inspecting the fences.     

'It Would Have Been Bad': The Development of Historical Imagination and Empathy in a Group of Secondary Aged Pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties

Andrew Turner, who teaches in a school for pupils with severe learning difficulties, considers the teaching of history by teachers of such pupils and suggests that the skills of imaginative reconstruction and empathy are relatively neglected areas, particularly when dealing with distant historical periods. Recent research with mainstream primary pupils illustrates the possible parallels and the article gives details of a small-scale study of one group of Key Stage 3 pupils.     

The Style Stakes: Fashion,Sportswear and Horse Racing in Inter-war America

Despite an acknowledgement that, historically, the relationship between horse racing, women and fashion was important, existing literature provides little detail on the actual clothes that women wore as racegoers. The aim of this article is to add missing depth on the clothing of fashionable women at horse races, focusing on the United States during the inter-war period. In so doing, the discussion extends understandings of the history, and the material culture, of sporting spectatorship more generally. The article also introduces original work on the male spectator and his racegoing wardrobe. Climatic considerations to do with dressing appropriately for the great outdoors are discussed along with other influential factors on spectator dress such as contemporary fashion journalism and photography. The industry supplying fashion consumers was in transition at this time also and New York acquired prominence as a centre for a new mode of sporty, all-American fashion that was termed ‘sportswear’. As well as dealing with the clothes and the individuals who wore them, then, the article tells the story of the broader socio-economic conditions of American fashion, sport and sportswear that formed – and informed – their wearing.     

Evolution of the Transfer Code of Practice

The Transfer Code of Practice was launched in 2008 as a set of best‐practice guidelines to be followed when a journal changes publisher, with the aim of ensuring uninterrupted access to content for subscribers. The Code has now been updated to reflect the continued evolution of the academic publishing process driven by new technologies, policies, and publishing practices.     

How the role of the independent editor is changing in relation to traditional and self‐publishing

This paper reports on a survey of editors undertaken during 2013. The survey asked about lifestyle and work, and in particular how these are changing with the growth of self‐publishing authors. This article reports on the changing opportunities for editorial work and the practices of independent editors, and how their working routines have changed over the past three years. It reveals a shift from working for traditional publishers towards working for new clients, including self‐publishing authors; relationships with traditional publishers are strained for a variety of reasons, and increasing satisfaction levels are discernible in relationships with experienced self‐publishers. The paper considers the consequences of editors' changing patterns of work and client base, and likely future outcomes. Areas for further close monitoring and research are suggested.