Determined the effects of internal vs external attentional focus on symptom perception and performance in an exercise setting. 15 undergraduates ran 1 mi under each of 3 experimental conditions: "word-cue," in which Ss were required to focus externally by listening for a target word heard repeatedly over headphones; "breathing," in which Ss were directed to attend to their own breathing and heart rate; and a control. Ss reported significantly less symptomatology, particularly exercise-relevant symptoms (as measured by a symptom/emotion checklist), in the word-cue condition than in the breathing or control conditions. Findings are discussed with reference to previous theory, and methodological differences between this and earlier research by J. W. Pennebaker and J. M. Lightner (see record 1981-22664-001) are delineated.
