"We don't need to copy the world in our head to interact with it" - Julia Blau and Jeffrey Wagman
I recently had the absolute pleasure of recording a conversation with Dr. Julia Blau and Dr. Jeffrey Wagman, authors of "An Introduction to Ecological Psychology: A Lawful Approach to Perceiving, Acting, and Cognising." Our conversation explored how humans actually perceive and interact with the world around them and question the traditional assumptions about psychology which suggests that we need to create mental representations of the world before we can act.
Julia and Jeff shared insights on how the ecological approach transforms our understanding of human movement, and we contextualise this to enpack how we might better provide opportunities for young people to develop their abilities in sport and physical activity. We discussed how creating rich, varied environments allows people to develop their own solutions to movement problems. This approach promotes agency, enjoyment, and ultimately better performance across many fields from sports coaching to education.
Key Takeaways:
Ecological psychology views perception and action as directly connected - we don't need to build internal models of the world to interact with it effectively.
Variability in practice isn't something to eliminate; it's actually essential for developing adaptable skills that work in changing environments.
When teaching movement skills, focus on helping people recognise when something feels right rather than precisely dictating the movements they should make.
If you're interested in joining a community where we explore these concepts further, join our learning group 'The Guild of Ecological Explorers' by heading to www.thetalentequation.co.uk and clicking on the 'join a learning group' button.
