Improved vision and on-field performance in baseball through perceptual learning

visual acuity (measured at 20 feet; 6.1 meters), with an average of 31% improvement in binocular acuity (pre-training mean of 20/13 ± 0.69 SE vs post-training mean of 20/10 ± 0.59; Figure 1A). These changes were significantly (F = 31.13, p < 0.0001) greater than those of the players in the Untrained group (20/16 ± 1.4 vs 20/16 ± 1.2). The pre-training differences were not significant between Trained and Untrained players (t = 0.8774, p = 0.39, t-test). Notably, 15 of 19 Trained players showed improved binocular acuity; the four Trained players without binocular improvements improved in one or both of the eyes individually; and seven of the Trained players reached 20/7.5 Snellen acuity in far binocular acuity after training. Similar improvements were also found in near vision for the Trained, but not Untrained, players (see Figure S1 in the Supplemental Information). For Trained players we also measured contrast sensitivity functions, where we found significant (F = 25.4, p = 0.0001) improvement (Figure 1B), demonstrating that contrast sensitivity as well as acuity benefitted from integrated training. The vision tests demonstrate training-based benefits transfer outside the context of the computerized training program to standard eye-charts. Notably, players reported, " seeing the ball much better " , " greater peripheral vision " , " easy to see further " , " able to distinguish lower contrasting things " , " eyes feel stronger, they don't get tired as much " , and so on. These results suggest that the improved vision translates to real world benefits for the Trained players. To quantitatively assess this, we measured their on-field performance in the game of baseball (see Supplemental Information for explanation of the game and related terminology). We analyzed batting statistics from the 2012 Big West Baseball season (ending four months prior to training), and the 2013 season (beginning two months after training), a comparison used in previous research [6]. Eleven of the 19 Trained players played in both the 2012 and 2013 seasons and subsequent analyses focus on these players. College players typically do improve from year to year; and this improvement needs to Our visual abilities profoundly impact performance on an enormous range of tasks. Numerous studies examine mechanisms that can improve vision [1]. One limitation of published studies is that learning effects often fail to transfer beyond the trained task or to real world conditions. Here we report the results of …