原文: The Psychology of Cross Country

Introduction

When we hear about the psychology of sport, what generally comes to mind has to do with the mental preparation before a competition. For example, we have all seen books or articles that give techniques on how to "think positive," or how to handle nerves, stress or the excitement that might otherwise have a negative impact on our performance.

What is less known is that there is another area of psychology that can be applied to riding as well. It is known as cognitive psychology. This is the area of psychology concerned with how we think, learn, and solve problems. Understanding some of its basics can provide insights to many of the problems that we encounter in competition. Significantly, we can make use of these insights in adjusting our training regimen so as to avoid those problems in the future.

This article grew out of trying to understand my own riding mistakes (of which there are many). In my non-equestrian life, I am a scientist who studies the problems that people have in learning how to use technologies such as computers, fax machines and photocopiers. My belief is that much of what I observe in my science applies equally to riding.

At this stage, one might ask, "How does the process of learning to ride relate to learning a word processor?" At first glance, there is little similarity. But on reflection, what they have in common is that both have to do with the acquisition of a new skill.

介紹

當(dāng)我們聽說關(guān)于運(yùn)動的心理學(xué)時, 通常我們的第一反應(yīng)是一些和賽前準(zhǔn)備相關(guān)的東西. 比如說, 有些書籍或者文章會告訴你如何"積極思考"的技巧, 或者怎么應(yīng)對緊張, 壓力和對我們的發(fā)揮有負(fù)面影響的過度興奮.

有一種其他領(lǐng)域的心理學(xué)也可以被應(yīng)用到騎馬上, 但不太為人所知. 那就是認(rèn)知心理學(xué), 它關(guān)注我們?nèi)绾嗡伎? 學(xué)習(xí)和解決問題. 理解一些認(rèn)知心理學(xué)的基礎(chǔ)知識可以更好的幫助我們理清比賽中遇到問題的解決思路. 并且更為重要的是, 我們可以用這些知識來調(diào)整訓(xùn)練方法, 來避免未來再次出現(xiàn)這些問題.

我寫這篇文章的目的是為了認(rèn)清我自己騎馬時的錯誤(有很多錯誤). 在我不做騎手的時間里, 我是一個科學(xué)家, 專門研究人們在學(xué)習(xí)科技, 比如計算機(jī), 傳真機(jī)和復(fù)印機(jī)中遇到的問題. 我認(rèn)為, 我在科學(xué)中所觀察到的很多東西同樣適用于騎術(shù).

那么現(xiàn)在, 有人可能就要問了, "學(xué)習(xí)騎術(shù)的過程是如何與學(xué)習(xí)文字處理器有關(guān)呢?" 初看之下它們的確沒什么相似的. 但是在仔細(xì)考慮過后, 它們相同的地方就是它們都與如何習(xí)得新技能有關(guān).

Skill and Problem Solving

Riding is a skill. Learning to ride is skill acquisition. But why use such fancy terminology when "learning to ride" seems to do just fine? After all, it is far more down to earth. My main reason is to get a bit of distance from riding per se so that we can concentrate on the learning part.

Generally, if someone tells me they want something, I assume that they know what it is. If you want a bridle, you can probably describe it to me quite clearly. But if you want a skill, can you describe what that means to the same level of detail? Yet isn't that skill at least as important as the bridle? To find out what you do know about skill, let me give you a simple test:

Before reading on, think for a moment, and tell me what is the opposite of skill?

I'll even give you a hint: I'm not looking for "unskilled."

The intended answer is, "problem solving." Now if that was your response, then you probably don't need to read this article. On the other hand, if this seems like a strange reply, then stick around - what follows may be of use to you.

技能與問題解決

騎術(shù)是一種技能. 學(xué)習(xí)騎術(shù)的過程就是習(xí)得技能的過程. 但是為什么要用"習(xí)得技能(skill acquisition)"這樣高大上的名詞來代替"學(xué)習(xí)騎術(shù)"這樣也還不錯的詞語呢? 畢竟這樣更加接地氣一點(diǎn). 我的主要理由是讓它離騎術(shù)的距離遠(yuǎn)一些, 使得我們可以關(guān)注學(xué)習(xí)的那一部分.

通常情況下, 如果有人告訴我他們想要某些東西, 我會假設(shè)他們已經(jīng)知道那是什么. 如果你要一根韁繩, 你可以清楚的跟我大致描述它. 但是如果你想要一份技能, 你能同樣清楚的跟我講明白那意味著什么嗎?(譯注: 這里的意思應(yīng)該是到底怎么樣才叫掌握一個技能) 而且, 難道那個技能不比一根韁繩更重要嗎? 想要清楚的了解到自己對技能的認(rèn)識程度, 我可以給你一個簡單的測試 :

在繼續(xù)閱讀之前, 先思考片刻, 接著告訴我什么是技能的反面(opposite of skill)?

我可以給你一個提示; 我不想要"不熟悉技能"這個答案.

我想要的回答是, "解決問題的能力". 如果這是你的答案, 那么你可能就不需要讀這篇文章了. 相反 如果這聽起來很奇怪, 那么請繼續(xù)讀下去 --- 接下來的東西可能對你非常有用.

Automatic and Attentive Behaviour

The most important characteristic of any skilled performance, be it equestrian, musical or mathematical, is that it is automatic. That is to say, the person performing the task has done it so many times before that they literally don't have to concentrate on it while doing it. As we shall see even more later, the most important consequence of this is that the mind is therefore freed to concentrate on other things (for example, rather than thinking "are my heels down, eyes up, ...?" the mind is free to think about, "where is the best line to the next jump?").

A good way to test if someone is really skilled at a task is to see if they can do something else at the same time. A favorite example some of riding instructors is to have a student recite something difficult (such as multiplication tables or spelling their name backwards) while going over a jump. This is an excellent test. If the student is skilled at jumping, the mind will be free to focus on the recitation. If not, the two tasks will interfere with one another, and either or both will suffer.

Performing a task in which we are unskilled requires attentive behaviour. We have to think of all of the little steps that it takes to get through the task. Remember when you were unskilled at rising trot? It took all of your concentration to stay balanced and on the horse. It wasn't until this became automatic that your mind was sufficiently freed up to enable you to begin to pay attention to what diagonal you were on. And now, you don't even have to think of your diagonal. It too is automatic. It's your rhythm and pace that you're concentrating on. As skill develops, what previously required attention (and problem solving) now becomes automatic. Thus, the mind is freed so that it can attend to a new set of problems (which themselves will become automatic with practice).

自然而然(Automatic)和專注性行為(Attentive Behaviour)

對任何精湛的表現(xiàn)來說, 無論是騎術(shù), 音樂還是數(shù)學(xué), 它們最為重要的特點(diǎn)是它們是自然而然的. 我的意思是, 這些人在之前已經(jīng)排練過千百遍, 以至于他們在做事時根本就不需要全神貫注. 我們繼續(xù)觀察下去, 這樣最重要的結(jié)果就是他們的頭腦可以放空去關(guān)注一些別的事情(比如說, 相比去想"我的腳跟是往下了嗎? 我的眼睛往上抬了嗎?"這樣的問題, 他們可以自由的思考"在下一次起跳之前哪里是最好的起跳線?").

一個好的方式來測試一個人是否熟練掌握一個技能是看他能否在完成這項(xiàng)任務(wù)的同時干其他事情. 一個很好的例子是有的騎術(shù)教練讓一名學(xué)員在障礙跳躍的時候背一些有難度的東西(比如說乘法表或者倒著拼寫他們的名字). 這是一個優(yōu)秀的測試. 如果學(xué)生掌握了跳躍技術(shù), 他們的腦袋就有空去集中注意力在背書上. 如果他們的騎術(shù)不熟練, 那么這兩項(xiàng)任務(wù)就會沖突, 互相干擾, 至少有一項(xiàng)任務(wù)會失敗.

執(zhí)行一項(xiàng)不熟練的任務(wù)需要專注性行為. 我們必須去想完成這項(xiàng)任務(wù)的每一個細(xì)節(jié). 還記得你還不熟悉讓馬小跑(rising trot)的時候嗎? 你必須將你的全部注意力集中在平衡和你的馬上. 只有在這變得自然而然的時候你的腦袋才會有充足的余地去注意你是不是走歪了. 而現(xiàn)在你甚至不需要注意走得直不直. 這也是自然的了. 你在關(guān)注的是你的節(jié)奏和腳步. 當(dāng)技術(shù)積累之時, 之前需要集中注意力的地方如今已經(jīng)成了自發(fā)的行為. 所以, 你的腦袋不再費(fèi)力注意這些東西, 它可以去思考一些新的問題(經(jīng)過練習(xí)后這些問題也會成為自發(fā)的).

The Power Law of Practice

For me, I think that the most frustrating thing about acquiring a new skill, such as riding, is that I know intellectually what I am supposed to do. I read all the books, magazines and watch the top riders. But when I get on a horse, I just can't put it all together.

This is just a round about way of saying that acquiring any skill is hard. And if there is anything that we know about leaning a new skill, it is that the only way to develop it and keep it is to practice: do it over and over and over again, then do it some more. Recognizing this leads us to one of the keys to a good instructor: someone who can have you do something over an over again while keeping it fresh, interesting and challenging (for you and your horse - who is also acquiring new skills).

Now when I say over and over again, just how many "overs" do I mean? Well, this is expressed in something called the power law of practice. Simply stated, this says that if it takes 2 hours to get one step, it will take 4 hours to get two steps, 8 hours to get three steps, 16 hours to get 4 steps, etc. Of course this is a generalization. The message to take away is that those riders on the Olympic team have put in an unbelievable number of hours, and at that level, every incremental improvement in technique comes at the cost of a large number of hours of practice.

練習(xí)的冪法則

對我而言, 我認(rèn)為在習(xí)得一個新技能(比如騎馬)中最讓人灰心喪氣的事情就是即使我清楚的知道我應(yīng)當(dāng)如何去做, 我可以看所有關(guān)于騎馬的書和雜志, 可以看頂級騎手的比賽, 可當(dāng)我在馬背上的時候還是不知道怎么把它們結(jié)合到一塊兒去.

這等于兜了個圈子說獲得任何技能都是有難度的. 而且如果說我們知道什么東西可以幫助學(xué)習(xí)新技能的, 那就是唯一學(xué)習(xí)和掌握一門技能的方法就是練習(xí) : 重復(fù)重復(fù)再重復(fù). 認(rèn)識到這一點(diǎn)將幫助我們理解到一個好的教練是什么樣的: 他能讓你重復(fù)做一些事情, 同時可以讓他保持新鮮, 有趣, 有挑戰(zhàn)性(對你和你的馬而言都是重要的 - 你的馬也在學(xué)習(xí)).

那么當(dāng)我說重復(fù)重復(fù)再重復(fù)的時候, 我們到底需要"重復(fù)"多少遍呢? 好吧, 它可以用練習(xí)的冪法則來講明白. 簡單點(diǎn)講, 這就是說你需要花2個小時來登上第一級, 花4個小時來登上第二級, 花8小時來登上第三級, 花16小時來登上第四級, 以此類推. 當(dāng)然這只是通常的情況. 這個法則背后的信息是那些參加奧林匹克運(yùn)動會的騎手會投入夸張的時間花在練習(xí)上, 并且到了那個等級, 任何一點(diǎn)技術(shù)的進(jìn)步都會花上大量的時間聯(lián)系.

Task Interference, and its Avoidance

"Interference" is the term that I used earlier to describe the cause of any degradation in performance that results from an attempt to perform one task at the same time as another. Interference results when different tasks compete for the same limited resources, or attention, of the brain. Remember, if I'm unskilled at a task, its performance demands attentive problem solving. Consequently, there is likely not enough processing power left to simultaneously perform the additional problem solving required by some other task in which I am also unskilled.

Now let us see how this affects us in an equestrian activity, such as riding a jump on a cross country course. In this case, one could argue that we need to perform at least three different tasks:

1. Basic equitation: Simply put, we need to stay on our horse in a balanced position, while galloping over uneven and unfamiliar terrain.
2. Answer the question demanded each specific jump: In a well designed course, each jump is designed to ask a specific question of the rider - a question whose difficulty is determined by the level of competition.
3. Navigate the course: We need to remember the course and the specific line which we plan to follow, and all of us have made mistakes in this department.

The potential for task interference here is immense. If I am preoccupied with staying on my horse, I won't be prepared to deal with the specific problem of the next jump when I get there. And if I'm not thinking about where I go next while going over the jump (because I'm preoccupied with riding the jump itself), I will be well beyond it before I get my mind back to riding my planned course. And because I consequently found myself off of my planned course after the jump, the problem of adjusting my plan is introduced, which takes my mind off of basic equitation, which means I get to the next jump off balance. And the cycle continues - hopefully without a fall.

After our run we inevitably ask ourselves, "What went wrong? How did that happen? I walked the course. I can handle any of the jumps on their own. And I certainly can canter over that terrain!" Of course, all of that may well be true. But what we seem slow to appreciate is that, psychologically, doing all three together is a very different thing than doing each in isolation. The situation is similar to one that many would-be musicians have encountered: they can sing the lyrics and they can play the accompaniment on guitar, but they can't do the two together. In both cases, the problem is classic task interference.

任務(wù)干擾(Task Interference)和怎樣避免

"干擾"是我之前用過的一個詞, 用來形容表現(xiàn)變得不好的原因的, 它是嘗試同時做兩件事的結(jié)果. 當(dāng)不同的任務(wù)在爭取有限的資源, 注意力和腦力時, 干擾就會出現(xiàn)了. 記住, 如果你做一件事情不夠熟練, 那么這件事情最終做得怎么樣需要足夠?qū)Ｗ⒌膯栴}解決能力. 因此, 當(dāng)你同時解決不同的問題, 而且還是你所不熟悉的領(lǐng)域的時候, 你可能并沒有這么多處理能力.

現(xiàn)在讓我們看一下干擾會怎樣影響我們騎馬的. 就比如說在越野課程上騎馬跳躍吧, 在這個例子中, 你應(yīng)該意識到我們需要完成至少三項(xiàng)任務(wù):

1. 基礎(chǔ)馬術(shù): 簡單的說, 當(dāng)我們馳騁在不平坦不熟悉的地形時, 我們需要長時間坐在馬上并且保持平衡.
2. 完成任務(wù)要求的每個跳躍：在一個精心設(shè)計的課程中微渠，每一個跳躍都被設(shè)計成一個對騎手的特定任務(wù) --- 一個難度取決于比賽級別的任務(wù)。
3. 導(dǎo)航路線：我們需要記住我們打算遵循的路線和具體路線，我們所有人都在這個部分犯過錯誤排霉。

在這時, 任務(wù)干擾有非常巨大的潛在影響. 如果我專心于如何保持在馬背上, 當(dāng)我到了下一個起跳位置的時候, 我就沒法準(zhǔn)備好應(yīng)對跳躍的問題. 如果我在跳躍的時候沒在思考接下來要往哪里走, 我就會偏離目標(biāo)位置直到我重新重視起這個問題. 接下來, 因?yàn)槲以谔S之后偏離的計劃的路線, 這時出現(xiàn)了怎樣調(diào)整我的路線這個問題, 我的大腦會沒法兒處理基本的騎馬技巧, 這也意味著我的下一個跳躍將會失去平衡. 然后這個惡性循環(huán)持續(xù)進(jìn)行 --- 慶幸的是我沒有摔下馬背.

我們跑完之后會不可避免的問自己一些問題, "哪里出了毛病? 是怎么發(fā)生的? 我跑完了全程. 我可以獨(dú)自完成任何跳躍, 而且我非常確定我可以在那樣的地形慢跑!" 當(dāng)然了, 所有的這些都可能是對的. 但是我們仔細(xì)觀察到的是, 從心理學(xué)上講, 這三件事一起做比分開做難得多. 這個情況和很多想要成為音樂家的人遇到的情況想類似: 他們可以唱歌詞，也可以用吉他伴奏苞俘，但他們不能一起演奏胸梆。在這兩種情況下，問題都是典型的任務(wù)干擾扫责。

Practice, Preparation and Speed

"Putting it all together," from the psychological perspective means being sufficiently skilled in each of the tasks that there are sufficient cognitive resources to deal with each without interference. Now there are at least three strategies that can be applied to bring us to this state:

1. *Practice: *This is the obvious strategy. As we have discussed earlier, practice is the key to skill acquisition, and with skill comes the transition from attentive, demanding problem solving to automatic task performance.
2. *Preparation: *No matter how skilled we are, the unexpected will inevitably occur. Due to heavy rain, you may find yourself on footing unlike anything you or your horse have ever encountered. You may get a run-out in the middle of a combination where you never expected it. In these, and many similar situations, you are (often suddenly) confronted with an "extra" problem. The psychological danger here is that this "unexpected" problem may make extra cognitive demands which interfere with the performance of other ongoing tasks, and have the knock-on effect of causing additional problems.

The key to minimizing interference in these kinds of circumstances lies in appreciating the difference between unexpected and unplanned! Just because the footing or a runout is unexpected does not mean that we should not have planned for the eventuality. Despite having a cozy indoor arena, periodically we should school dressage, cross country and stadium outside in the most miserable weather. That way, we are prepared to deal with cold fingers, slippery reins, poor visibility and slick footing when the weather is unexpectedly bad. The resulting practice means more skill and less interference when (not if) these same conditions are encountered in competition.

Likewise, when we unexpectedly get a run-out in the middle of a combination or in some other situation, we can minimize the consequences through preparation. Even though we expect to go clear, we should have a "Plan B" (and "C," "D," ...) for each fence. Each is a planned response to a possible problem that we can anticipate. Some of these plans can be practiced at home, others not. This planning is one of your main tasks in walking a course. If you've done your planning well, then when (again, not if) the "unexpected" happens, you will be ready. You will have fewer problems to solve. Consequently, the interference with other tasks will be reduced and the damage will be contained. You can get on and ride the rest of the course without the knock-on effects that might otherwise occur.

3.* Speed:* Of all of the things that we can do to improve our performance, perhaps slowing down is the one that gives the most gain for the least pain. All novices have heard variations of this theme before, yet excessive speed is still one of the most common causes for problems that one sees on course. Now notice that I said speed was not the problem, but the cause. What is the underlying psychology?

In the physical world, we are used to describing the performance of machines in terms of how much they can do in a given unit of time. Hence, we say that a car can go so many miles per hour, a motor run at so many revolutions per minute, or a generator provide so many kilowatts per hour. For our purposes, let us think of the brain in the same way. Let us say that our brain can answer X questions (or solve X problems) a minute. Let us further assume that in riding between two jumps, we need to answer Y questions. If I get to the second jump without answering all Y questions, I am likely going to have a problem. I can avoid this easily. By stretching out the time between the two jumps, I buy myself time. I therefore arrive at the second jump with all Y questions answered, and am far less likely to make an error. (Recalling all of the alternate plans for the upcoming fence are, of course, some of the questions that are required during the approach.)

Cross country speeds are normally given in metres per second. Of far more value, from the psychological perspective, would be for us to think of it in questions answered per metre. Because of skill, the expert can answer more questions more rapidly, and therefore safely cover the same distance in a shorter time, but having answered at least the same number of questions over the distance! As novices, our goal should be to match the question answering, not the speed, of the expert. This leads not only to more clean rounds, but safer and more enjoyable rounds as well.

One important caveat: there are obvious limits to what I am saying, otherwise the logical conclusion would be that sitting still, giving yourself all the time in the world to problem solve, would be the sure path to a perfect round. Keep in mind that approaching a fence at the proper pace and making your round within the time limit are two of the key problems that you have to take into account. There are limits to everything!

練習(xí), 準(zhǔn)備和速度

"把它們放在一塊兒一起做," 這句話從心理學(xué)的觀點(diǎn)出發(fā)就意味著對每個任務(wù)充分熟悉, 這樣你就有足夠的認(rèn)知資源(cognitive resources)來不沖突的去處理中間任何一個任務(wù). 現(xiàn)在我們至少可以用三種策略來讓我們達(dá)到"放在一塊兒"這樣的境界:

1. 練習(xí): 這個對策是顯然的. 就像我們在前文中所探討的那樣, 練習(xí)是習(xí)得技能的過程重要的一部分, 接著你的獲得的技能可以促使從你的任務(wù)表現(xiàn)從需要細(xì)致考慮和問題解決的狀態(tài)向著自然而然的狀態(tài)轉(zhuǎn)變.

2. 準(zhǔn)備: 不論我們是多么的熟練, 意外總會不可避免的發(fā)生. 由于下著大雨, 你可能會發(fā)現(xiàn)你的立足點(diǎn)不同于你和你的馬會遇到的任何其他情況. 你可能在組合跳躍(?)中在你從未意料到的地方run-out. 在這里或者其他相似的場景里, 你會(經(jīng)常會是突發(fā)的)被"額外的"問題阻礙. 這里的心理困難點(diǎn)在于, 這些未預(yù)料到的問題可能會造成額外的腦力需求, 從而影響到其他這在做的事情, 并引發(fā)連鎖效應(yīng), 造成更多的問題.

   在這樣的情況下, 減小干擾的關(guān)鍵在于認(rèn)識到未意料到(unexpected)和未計劃(unplanned)的不同點(diǎn)在哪里! 僅僅是因?yàn)榱⒆泓c(diǎn)或者run-out未如預(yù)期并不代表我們不該在之前為結(jié)果做好計劃. 除了在舒適的室內(nèi)場地訓(xùn)練, 我們也應(yīng)該階段性的進(jìn)行花式騎術(shù)訓(xùn)練, 越野賽跑和在最惡劣的天氣下進(jìn)行室外訓(xùn)練. 這樣, 即使天氣比想象的更糟, 我們也做好了應(yīng)對自己冰冷的手指, 濕滑的韁繩, 低視距和光滑的立足點(diǎn)的準(zhǔn)備. 這些針對性練習(xí)可以讓我們在比賽中遇到相同條件的時候表現(xiàn)出更多的技巧和更少的干擾.

   類似的是, 當(dāng)我們未如預(yù)期般的在組合跳躍中run-out了, 或者在其他什么情況出了問題, 我們可以通過提前準(zhǔn)備盡可能的減輕惡果. 即便我們希望做事流程是簡潔的, 我也應(yīng)該為每一個欄桿設(shè)一個"Plan B"(還有"C","D"...). 每一個計劃都是一個預(yù)設(shè)的針對我們可能預(yù)料到的問題的響應(yīng)措施. 有些計劃可以在家里練習(xí), 有些則不行. 那些沒法再家里練習(xí)的計劃將是你走完全程的重要任務(wù). 如果你很好的完成了計劃, 那么當(dāng)(注意, 這里不是"如果")"未意料到的"情況發(fā)生時, 你已經(jīng)做好了準(zhǔn)備. 你將只有一點(diǎn)點(diǎn)問題需要解決. 因此, 其他任務(wù)的干擾將會減少, 它們的損害將會得到控制. 你可以持續(xù)走完接下來的路程而不必?fù)?dān)心連鎖反應(yīng)會發(fā)生.

1. 速度: 在所有你能做到的提高表現(xiàn)的事情里面, 也許放慢速度是其中最少痛苦最多成就的一個. 每個新手都聽過各種各樣的放慢速度的話, 但是過高的速度仍然造成訓(xùn)練中問題的一個最常見的原因. 需要注意的地方是, 速度不是問題, 而是原因. 那么潛在的心理學(xué)是什么呢?

   在物理世界里, 我們常常用單位時間內(nèi)一個機(jī)器能做到的事來衡量這個機(jī)器的表現(xiàn). 因此, 我們常說一輛車每小時可以開多少公里, 一輛摩托可以每分鐘跑多少圈, 或者一個發(fā)電機(jī)可以每小時產(chǎn)生多少千瓦的能量. 那么我們以相同的方式來類比一下大腦, 假設(shè)我們的大腦每分鐘可以回應(yīng)X個問題(或者解決X個問題). 接著, 我們假設(shè)當(dāng)我們騎著馬處在兩個跳躍中間的時候, 我們需要回應(yīng)Y個問題. 如果我在進(jìn)行第二個跳躍的時候沒有處理完所有的Y個問題, 我將很可能遇到些問題. 但是我可以輕松的避開這種情況. 只要延長兩個跳躍之間的時間, 就可以獲得更多的時間來處理這些事情. 因此我回應(yīng)了所有問題, 抵達(dá)了第二次跳躍, 并且?guī)缀醪豢赡芊稿e. (回憶所有關(guān)于下一個欄桿的替代方案肯定是一個必定要處理的問題之一)

   越野的速度經(jīng)常用多少米每秒來表示. 為了更有價值, 從心理學(xué)的角度講, 越野的速度應(yīng)該是我們所認(rèn)為的每一米回應(yīng)問題的數(shù)量. 由于掌握了專項(xiàng)技能, 專家一般來說可以更迅速的回應(yīng)更多問題, 因此也就能在更短時間內(nèi)安全的跑更多距離. 但是他們至少回應(yīng)了整個行程中所需要的全部問題! 作為一個新手, 我們的目標(biāo)應(yīng)該是達(dá)到專家們回應(yīng)問題的數(shù)量, 而不是達(dá)到專家們的速度. 這不僅可以引領(lǐng)你完成更多的clean rounds, 并且還更安全, 也更舒適享受.

   重要說明: 我所說的話有明顯的局限性, 否則, 合乎邏輯的結(jié)論是, 坐著不動, 把自己的所有時間花在不斷地解決問題上, 這將是通往完美結(jié)果的必然之路. 記住, 有兩個關(guān)鍵問題你必須考慮到, 分別是用合適的速度接近柵欄, 以及在時間限制內(nèi)完成跑圈. 所有的事情都有局限!

   ?

Chronological vs Perceptual Time

In the arithmetic of the physical world and chronological time, if I only answered half of the questions demanded of me between two fences, the conclusion might be that in order to answer them all, I should cut my speed in half (that is, double the amount of time between jumps). Here is the good news: perceptual time does not follow the rules of chronological time. One of the most interesting things about it is that it only takes about 10% more time, to more-or-less double the available problem solving time! Of course, the opposite is also true: if you speed up by only 10%, you run the risk cutting the number of questions that you can answer in half. A speed increase of about 10% comes close to doubling the difficulty and likelihood of error. Cutting speed by 10% about doubles your chances of going clear (as long as you also keep in mind my caveat, above). Making the right decision here isn't rocket science: a 10% reduction in speed makes a lot of sense if you are currently having troubles going clear.

順序時間 vs 感覺時間

在物理世界和時間順序的計算中, 如果我只回應(yīng)了跨越兩個柵欄所要求的問題的一半, 而我的目標(biāo)是為了回答所有的問題, 那么我應(yīng)該把我的速度減少一半(即當(dāng)前中間時間的兩倍). 這里有個好消息: 感受時間不遵從順序時間的法則. 最有意思的是, 你只需要多花10%的時間, 就可以或多或少的將大腦解決問題的時間減半! 當(dāng)然, 反過來也是對的: 就算你的速度只增加10%, 你也會面臨一種風(fēng)險, 那就是你的問題解決的數(shù)量減半了. 速度增加10%大致相當(dāng)于將難度和出錯的可能性翻倍. 減速10%相當(dāng)于將你跑的好的概率翻倍(只要你依然留心我之前的重要說明). 做出正確的決定并不是什么黑科技: 如果你現(xiàn)在正面臨一些麻煩, 10%的減速可以讓你跑出更好的成績.

Summary

We are all problem solving when riding. (If the amount of problem solving is negligible, then we are competing well below our ability and should move up a level or two.) Where we get into trouble is when we become overloaded, and the mental effort of solving one problem makes demands on the mind which cause interference with solving the problems associated with some other task.

Through practice, we can build up our level of skill in as many areas as possible. In so doing, the performance of those tasks will become automatic. Consequently, they will not interfere with problem solving associated with other tasks.

Through preparation we can anticipate the unexpected. In so doing, we can have a prepared "recipe" for each eventuality that might occur at any point on course. By so doing, we eliminate the need to "make up" the recipe on the fly. By reducing the amount of problem solving demanded by unexpected situations, we reduce the amount of task interference compared to what would otherwise result, and therefore reduce the likelihood of knock-on effects. If something happens, we deal with it according to plan, then get on with the rest of our ride.

Finally, by controlling our speed, we buy ourselves time to answer all of the questions demanded from obstacle to obstacle on course. By recognizing that psychological time is not linear, we can take advantage of the fact that it only requires about a 10% slow-down to double the problem solving time available.

Riding is as much a mental as a physical activity. To ride effectively and safely requires an understanding of both of these components. Hopefully this discussion has shed some light on the mental side, and makes it so that the process of solving all of these problems does not interfere with the most important task of them all: enjoying the sport.

總結(jié)

所有人在騎馬時都需要問題解決(problem solving). (如果需要解決的問題的數(shù)量是可忽略的, 那么我們的能力已經(jīng)遠(yuǎn)超比賽所要求的了, 我們應(yīng)該參加更高級別的比賽.) 我們遇到麻煩的地方就是我們感受到負(fù)擔(dān)的時刻, 解決一個問題會花費(fèi)心思, 導(dǎo)致大腦負(fù)擔(dān)的增加, 也就更容易與其他大腦任務(wù)產(chǎn)生沖突.

通過練習(xí), 我們可以盡可能的在多個領(lǐng)域增加技能的熟練程度. 保持長時間的話, 這些任務(wù)的表現(xiàn)就會成了一件無需思考的, 自然而然的事情. 因此, 它們不會干擾到與其他任務(wù)的問題處理.

通過準(zhǔn)備, 我們可以預(yù)測一些突發(fā)情況. 這樣做的話, 我們可以針對每一個可能發(fā)生的結(jié)果擁有一個準(zhǔn)備好的"對策".由此, 我們不再需要在進(jìn)行的過程中匆忙的準(zhǔn)備對策. 通過降低未預(yù)料到的情況下所需的problem solving, 相對于未準(zhǔn)備的結(jié)果來說, 我們降低了任務(wù)干擾, 由此降低了連鎖反應(yīng)的可能性. 如果意料之外的事情發(fā)生了, 我們可以按計劃處理, 并且可以繼續(xù)接下來的行程.

最后, 通過控制速度, 我們獲得了多余的時間來回應(yīng)路程上每個障礙物的問題. 通過認(rèn)識到心理時間不是線性的, 我們可以從僅僅降低10%的速度中獲得好處, 它可以使解決問題的有效時長翻倍.

騎馬既是一個物理上的運(yùn)動, 也是一個心理上的運(yùn)動. 想要有效并且安全的騎馬, 需要同時理解這兩種運(yùn)動. 希望我這篇文章能夠在心理那一面上指明一些思路, 并且有所幫助, 使得解決所有問題的過程不會干擾到所有任務(wù)中最重要的那一個: 享受運(yùn)動.

Bill Buxton is Head of Research at Alias | Wavefront, a computer graphics company that - among other things - built the tools which were used to create the dinosaurs in the film, Jurassic Park. He is also Chief Scientist for Siicon Graphics Inc., a computer company specializing in computer graphics systems, and a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Toronto. His specialty is the human aspects of technology. He recently began competing at the preliminary level on his 8 year old buckskin clyde/thoroughbred mare, Matinee Performance, and is coached by Ian Roberts and Kelly Plitz of Dreamcrest Equestrian in Port Perry, Ont.