Author(s): HAN, M., GÓMEZ-CARMONA, C.D.2, CONTE, D.3, LORENZO CALVO, J.1, Institution: UNIVERSIDAD POLITÉCNICA DE MADRID, Country: SPAIN, Abstract-ID: 1581

INTRODUCTION:
Visual attention plays a critical role in perception–action coupling during self-paced motor tasks. Quiet Eye (QE) duration and Total Visual Control (TVC) have been proposed as indicators of visuomotor control and motor planning efficiency. However, developmental changes in gaze behaviour and their relationship with cognitive workload during adolescence remain insufficiently explored. This study examined age-related differences in gaze behaviour, shooting performance, and perceived workload in youth basketball players.
METHODS:
Forty-six male basketball players from three competitive age groups (U14, U16, U18) performed 30 standardized free throws while wearing Tobii Pro Glasses 3 (50 Hz). Quiet Eye (QE) duration and Total Visual Control (TVC) were extracted using established fixation criteria. Shooting accuracy (SA) was recorded, and perceived cognitive workload was assessed using NASA-TLX. One-way ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine developmental differences and predictive relationships.
RESULTS:
The U18 group showed longer gaze durations and higher accuracy but lower workload than the younger groups. Age significantly affected QE duration (p = 0.046) and Total Visual Control duration (p = 0.027), and there was a small but statistically significant positive correlation with both total visual control duration (r = 0.214, p = 0.045) and shooting accuracy (r = 0.324, p = 0.002). In U16 groups, total visual control duration negatively correlated with workload (r = –0.654, p = 0.028) and significantly predicted it.
CONCLUSION:
These findings suggest that visuomotor control undergoes developmental refinement across adolescence, with longer gaze stabilization reflecting increased motor control efficiency. The negative association between TVC and workload in mid-adolescence indicates a potential transitional phase in which visual attention becomes more cognitively efficient. Overall, gaze behaviour appears to represent a developmental marker of emerging motor expertise in youth basketball.