Patting on the back increases scoring rate in basketball
Published: Monday, Apr 8th 2024, 10:50
Updated At: Tuesday, Apr 9th 2024, 01:59
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Patting on the back increases the chances of scoring in basketball. As researchers from the University of Basel have shown in a new study, female basketball players are more likely to score a free throw if their teammates have touched them beforehand.
"Our results speak for the power of touch," wrote the researchers led by Christiane Büttner in the study in the journal "Psychology of Sport & Exercise".
The researchers examined 835 pairs of free throws in 60 women's games in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) college basketball league. A player is awarded free throws in basketball if he or she is fouled while attempting a shot. In most cases, there are then two free throws, which the fouled player can convert into one point per shot. Many games are decided by such free throws.
Especially with high stress levels
It was found that the probability of hitting the basket with a free throw increased if the players had previously been touched by their teammates, for example in the form of a pat on the back or a handshake. However, this effect was particularly noticeable after an unsuccessful first throw.
"Support from teammates is therefore particularly helpful when the stress level is already high because you have missed the first of the two throws," Büttner summarized the results in a press release from the University of Basel on the study.
It cannot be ruled out that male athletes react differently to contact, the researchers wrote in the study. However, women are better suited for such a study as they have more consistent free throw rates than men. According to the psychologist, it is quite conceivable that a pat on the back or handshake could also help to deal with stress and improve performance in other team situations.
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