The Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS) inventory is a 144 item self-report questionnaire that measures twenty different concentration skills, personal and interpersonal attributes. (See Scale below)

Those specific concentration skills and personality characteristics can be thought of as the building blocks upon which more complex human behaviors depend. Over 25 years of applied research in business, sports, and the military provide direct evidence of the link between changes in physiology, as a function of increasing or decreasing arousal, and the ability to concentrate. Those changes have critical implications for performance, coaching, and skills training programs.

Concentration skills, and the ability to shift both the width and direction (internal vs. external) are critical determinants of success or failure in virtually any performance situation. You cannot cross the street safely, without paying attention to performance relevant cues. You cannot communicate with another individual effectively without paying attention to the right cues. You cannot problem solve, without shifting attention and focusing on task relevant cues.

The ability to shift attention, to pay attention to the right cues is affected by two things: 1) The strength of a particular focus of concentration. For example some people find it easier to attend to internal cues than they do to external ones. Some individuals find it easier to narrow concentration than they do to broaden their focus. 2) Changes in emotional arousal have a direct effect on the ability to shift ones focus of attention.

Scores on the TAIS attentional scales allow you to identify an individual’s concentration strengths and relative weaknesses. Scores on TAIS personal and interpersonal scales allow you to anticipate the types of performance situations which are likely to interfere with a person’s ability to control their level of emotional arousal. These two pieces of information, combined with an understanding of the concentration skills and interpersonal characteristics required by any specific performance situation will allow you to anticipate how a person will perform under pressure, and help you determine the specific steps that will be most helpful in overcoming any identified problem.

What do the worlds best players have in common with the Navy Seals…the ability to pay attention, to avoid becoming distracted under pressure and the ability to remain focused on the task at hand. Whether you are a forward, defenseman, goalie, or coach, you cannot perform effectively if you can’t concentrate. Mistakes break deals, create problems, and impact lives.

The Enhanced Performance System employs a performance-based instrument – The Attentional & Interpersonal Style (TAIS ™) inventory – to gain crucial information useful over a wide range of applications.

The Enhanced Performance System and the TAIS inventory were developed by one of the world’s leading sport psychologists, Dr. Robert M. Nideffer, Ph.D., ABPP Diplomat in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Nideffer is highly regarded for his work in attention control training and his performance coaching techniques.

The TAIS Inventory helps identify those performance situations where mistakes are likely to occur, their causes, and strategies for minimizing their effects or preventing them altogether, thus enhancing actual job performance.

Your TAIS Report includes comprehensive narrative feedback based on the your answers. The report includes details on one’s strengths and weak spots. The information can be immediately applied to improve your development, performance, and success in hockey.