This episode explores how athletes make sense of fast, chaotic game environments using internal models, priors, and pattern recognition. Through the lens of Bayesian reasoning and Piaget’s concepts of assimilation and accommodation, we break down why anticipation is a skill, why young athletes often lag in perceptual processing, and why predictable drills don’t transfer well into games. A practical, clear look at the cognitive side of skill development.
These aren’t quoted directly in the episode, but they underlie the explanations:
Simply Psychology: Schemas, Assimilation & Accommodationhttps://www.simplypsychology.org/piaget-assimilation-accommodation.html
Verywell Mind: Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Jean Piaget
Piaget, J. (1952). The Origins of Intelligence in Children.
Kahneman & Tversky – Judgment Under Uncertainty (base rate fallacy)
Gigerenzer, G. – Risk Savvy (intuition vs statistics)
Griffiths & Tenenbaum – Bayesian models of cognition
Abernethy, B. – Perceptual expertise in sport
Vickers, J. – Decision Training
Davids, K. – Dynamics of Skill Acquisition
Dan Morris book Bayes Theorem: A Visual Introduction for Beginners: https://a.co/d/eRmMNC3
Article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30024211/
