Methods for measuring pattern recall and recognition in sport experts

This chapter discusses the use of non-representative test stimuli in studies of pattern perception has been a major limitation in the methodological approach. It provides an overview of the evolution of these two methodological approaches as they apply to research on expert performance - initially in chess, and later in team sports - and will outline some of the issues and considerations surrounding x-ray images use. An examination of the underlying characteristics that define expert chess performance was also the focus of some of the initial studies using the pattern recognition paradigm. While novel experimental manipulations such as those just described have further advanced the understanding of pattern perception, there are some important methodological features that should be considered. One of the interesting findings reported by de Groot in his investigation of chess expertise was the tendency of the master player to apply a form of anticipatory memory encoding during the completion of the recall task.