A hole in the head: Golf and Perception [MUSIC PLAYING] NARRATOR: ScienCentral. BRAD KLOZA: In golf the cup is always the same size-- except when it's your turn to putt. MAN 1: It just feels like it's smaller when you're missing putts, and it feels like it's bigger when you making putts. BRAD KLOZA: Purdue University assistant professor of psychology Jessica Witt, herself a sometime golfer, tested this by asking people who just finished playing to point out on a chart which circle was the same size as the cup. JESSICA WITT: The golfers who scored better-- that is, that reported lower scores-- selected larger circles, which implies that they've perceived the hole as bigger. BRAD KLOZA: In addition, those who scored poorly thought the hole was smaller, which says the link between mind and body, perception and action, is a strong one. JESSICA WITT: If you are presented with the task of having to hike up a steep hill and you're tired, or you are carrying a heavy load such as a heavy backpack, that hill is going to look a lot steeper. BRAD KLOZA: As to which comes first, perception or performance, Witt says it's most likely a cycle. JESSICA WITT: It's possible that this cyclical relationship is actually responsible for the phenomenon known as streaks or slumps. BRAD KLOZA: So can you change your performance by thinking big? Witt is doubtful. JESSICA WITT: You can't tell yourself what to see. The world presents itself to you, and you think that you're seeing it the way that it is. And even if you try to change your perception, you're not going to be able to. BRAD KLOZA: It's sizable research to think about when you're on the course, or a bit off course. For ScienCentral News, I'm Brad Kloza. [MUSIC PLAYING] [KEYBOARD TYPING] [Text on screen: For more science news visit sciencentral.com]