The Referee's Challenge: A Threshold Process Model for Decision Making in Sport Games
Journal article
Raab, M, MacMahon, C, Avugos, S and Bar-Eli, M (2020). The Referee's Challenge: A Threshold Process Model for Decision Making in Sport Games. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2020.1783696
Authors | Raab, M, MacMahon, C, Avugos, S and Bar-Eli, M |
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Abstract | Judgment and decision making in sporting officials is a challenging task that involves the use of context. Although process models of decision making describe decision contexts, none of the existing models explains when sports officials use rule-driven decision making, or game management. The basic idea of our work is that referees use a subjective threshold to apply game management, which may explain this decision behavior. We propose a new dynamic threshold model that is based on concepts derived from Decision Field Theory (Busemeyer & Townsend, 1993). The model includes two thresholds of game management (high/low) and two contact situations (foul/no foul) as approaching one of these thresholds. Using the example of soccer refereeing, we argue that if the game hits a subjective threshold of aggressive play, then the referee shifts from applying the rules to managing the game. This new approach changes the scientific discussion from one focused on what referees should decide in one situation or the other, to a dynamic model that explains the basic psychological mechanism underlying the referee’s change in behavior during the game, both at the intra-individual as well as inter-individual level. |
Keywords | decision field theory; decision making; threshold model; referee; officiating |
Year | 2020 |
Journal | International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology |
Publisher | Routledge |
ISSN | 1750-984X |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2020.1783696 |
Publication dates | |
09 Jul 2020 | |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 09 Jun 2020 |
Deposited | 11 Jun 2020 |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
Additional information | This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article that will be published by Taylor & Francis in International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology (IRSEP) available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/1750984X.2020.1783696 |
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/89z04
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Accepted author manuscript
Raab et al_Threshold Model__aceeptedversion_maintext.pdf | ||
License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
File access level: Open |
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