Primavera otoño 2020 (Año LXIII Núms. 122-123)

horizontes@pucpr.edu Año LXIV Núm. 124-125 horizontes PRIMAVERA / OTOÑO 2021 PUCPR 71 ENHANCING ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE THROUGH WATCHING PERFORMANCES OF OTHERS IN INDIVIDUAL SPORTS Jermaine López O’Conner Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico Neuroscience Master’s Degree Program Abstract Visual perception is an essential human skill that declines with age and is especially important for athletes. A decrease in perceptual abilities could make it more challenging to learn or perform sports. This analysis discussed how different perceptual skills to aid in training; mirror neurons could positively affect action and reaction times, learning, perception, timing, precision, and performance. Improvement in skills could promote improved performance in training, competitions, or slow down the normal perceptual deterioration in the human being. Enhanced perceptual performance could mean a better quality of life for many people. Introduction Perception is a fundamental aspect of decision-making and human behavior where several elements are involved. Among these elements are mirror neurons and the training of perception. Mirror neurons activate in the imitation process and the learning process. These neurons activate when we act and see others doing the same action. Even when the action we see is new for us, the mirror neurons are activated; it means they could be working to allow us to learn a new skill. Several researchers have found a relationship between learning through motor-perceptual and motor-sensory actions and people’s performance. Researchers found that training in the motor-perceptual and sensory-motor areas could decrease the normal deterioration of perceptual abilities in older adults. By decreasing the normal deterioration of perceptual abilities, we could help avoid accidents, daily life errors, elongate productive work time and improve life quality for people. In sports, perception is key to better action- reaction times, limiting the number of errors, and improving the athlete’s performance in their area. Most athletes need extraordinary perceptual abilities to perform at a high level during their entire life in the sport. Researchers found improved observers’ performance for judo, volleyball, and golf athletes. The observers learned new techniques or saw old techniques through videos to enhance their performance. These results indicated that how we perceived situations around us directly affected our learning and could indicate a greater activation of mirror neurons. The purpose of this research was to continue to deepen the relationship between learning, perception, and performance of athletes through observation. Main analysis Ossmy and Mukamel (2018) studied perception as an essential part of motor learning related to brain plasticity. The study showed different routes in which perception was affected and how they could improve these routes to enhance perception and improve daily activities. Li et al. (2017) studied how the practice of skill through perceptual learning could compensate for the normal deterioration of perceptual skills. Li et al. used twenty young adults and 20 older adults to compare perceptual learning and how training could improve perceptual learning, in addition to two control groups of 12 people each. After a three- day training, individual performance improved both in older adults and young adults. Zhang et al. (2018) studied mirror neurons and their implication in the recovery of stroke patients. Mirror neurons were essential in the processes of imitation and visual learning. They attempted