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Finding the Zone: Probabilities of Optimal Performance in a Real-World and Exergaming Basketball Task

Guilherme Bagni et al.

American Behavioral Scientist2026https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642261421292article
AJG 1ABDC B
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0.50

Abstract

We used the Individual Affective Probabilistic Zones methodology to explore optimal and suboptimal profiles of three professional players performing an exergaming basketball task and a real-world basketball task. The players performed 10 series of 10 three-point shots for each task. Heart rate was continuously monitored throughout the task. Prior to each shot, the participants reported their levels of arousal, pleasantness, and self-efficacy. Participants also reported their perceptions of flow and rates of perceived exertion (RPE) after each series of shots. We observed that all participants exhibited different curves of optimal performance (intra-subject analysis) for the two different tasks, and that their responses were highly idiosyncratic (inter-subject analysis). Perceptions of flow and RPE also differed by task. These findings suggest that psychobiosocial states underpinning optimal performance in exergaming and real-world sport scenarios can vary greatly. Sport psychologists and videogame designers should consider these findings when developing psychological interventions and advancing exergaming applications.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642261421292

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@article{guilherme2026,
  title        = {{Finding the Zone: Probabilities of Optimal Performance in a Real-World and Exergaming Basketball Task}},
  author       = {Guilherme Bagni et al.},
  journal      = {American Behavioral Scientist},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/00027642261421292},
}

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0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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