Perceptual-motor Abilities Underlying Expertise in Esports

Abstract

The current study aimed to investigate the perceptual-motor abilities of esports players using an expert/nonexpert paradigm. A total of 75 participants (age: 24.17 ± 4.24 y, sex: male = 64, female = 11) were subdivided in accordance to their expertise level (i.e. professional: n = 25, recreational: n = 25 and control: n = 25). The perceptual-motor abilities assessed were manual dexterity, the speed-accuracy trade-off and a variety of response times. Groupwise differences were examined using multivariate and univariate analyses of variance. A significant multivariate effect of expertise level on performance characteristics was identified (p < .001, ηp 2 = .35). Significant univariate effects were identified on the movement time (p < .001, ηp 2 = .42), two-choice response time (p = .038, ηp 2 = .09), congruent precue response time (p = .010, ηp 2 = .12) and incongruent precue response time (p = .047, ηp 2 = .08). Professional esports players were less susceptible to the speed-accuracy trade-off when compared with recreational esports players and a control group. Furthermore, professional esports players demonstrated faster two-choice response times and were better at using or ignoring information preceding a stimulus to inform subsequent action when compared with the control group. Collectively, some perceptual-motor abilities may underlie expertise in esports, yet their ability to distinguish between professional and recreational esports players is limited. Future research should include more domain-specific measures to fully capture the underlying characteristics of expert esports players.