Classification of types of noise exposure and its impact on the cognitive functions of referees in sports games

Abstract

Modern competitive activities in game sports are accompanied by an extreme level of acoustic load, which acts as a powerful stress factor for the refereeing corps. However, the theory of sports lacks a systematic classification of noise types, which complicates the understanding of the mechanisms of its influence on the quality of arbitration. The purpose of the study is to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the nature of acoustic stress and develop a theoretical classification of types of noise load on referees with a determination of its influence on cognitive functions. Methods of research:: theoretical analysis and generalization of literary sources, methods of classification, systematization and system analysis. Results of research. A three-level classification of noise exposure was substantiated and implemented, which includes: physical load (direct acoustic pressure on the auditory analyzer), semantic load (information pressure by content signals) and communication load (technical obstacles to interaction). It has been established that semantic noise causes the effect of “cognitive overload”, forcing the referee’s brain to spend working memory resources on filtering unnecessary information. This leads to a narrowing of peripheral perception (the “tunnel vision” effect) and increases the risk of subconscious bias in decision-making. Conclusions. It has been proven that noise load is a complex multimodal phenomenon that destabilizes the referee’s psychophysiological state not only due to physical fatigue of hearing, but also due to blocking of analytical thinking, which requires a review of approaches to the psychological training of judges.