Category: Sports Psychology

Social processing effects are grounded within individuals’  assessments  and  interpretations  of  social contextual  information.  Because  sport  and  exercise psychology (SEP) is the scientific study of how people and their behaviors affect and are affected by the environmental contexts in which they operate,  social  processing  effects  can  best  be  viewed through  a  social–psychological  lens.  The  social…

Identity exists along a spectrum that ranges from the personal to the social. The personal end of this spectrum is constituted by the distinctive combination of attributes that an individual deems relevant to his or her self-concept (e.g., being shy or tall). The  social  end  of  this  spectrum,  in  contrast,  is constituted by the extent…

The shared mental model is a term used in industrial and occupational psychology. Within the discipline  of  sport  psychology  (SP),  a  shared  mental model is commonly referred to as a shared knowledge state. This is a state in which the knowledge held  by  each  member  of  a  sports  team  about  the upcoming actions of the…

As a conceptual extension of social identity theory, John  Turner  and  his  colleagues  developed  self-categorization  theory.  Self-categorization  theory seeks  to  understand  and  explain  the  processes by  which  people  form  cognitive  representations of  themselves  and  others  in  relation  to  different social groups. The underlying premise behind this theory is that people place themselves and others into…

Roles  are  important  structural  components  of  all groups and represent the expectations for behaviors of individuals within a particular social situation. This entry briefly highlights the history, types, and emergence of roles and presents a number of cognitive  (e.g.,  role  clarity),  affective  (e.g.,  role  satisfaction),  and  behavioral  (e.g.,  role  performance) elements to role involvement. History…

In  a  broad  sense,  norms  reflect  inferences  about accepted,  appropriate,  valued,  and/or  desirable behavior.  Norms  differ  from  rules  and  laws  in that  they  are  implicit  (as  opposed  to  explicit)  in nature, and normative influences have been studied since at least the late 19th century in the fields of social psychology and sociology. More recently, these…

The association of being at home with feelings of increased physical comfort, safety, and psychological  well-being  are  reflected  in  a  wealth  of  popular  expressions  and  sayings,  such  as  Home  free; Home  is  where  the  heart  is;  East–west,  home  is best;  Home  sweet  home;  There’s  no  place  like home.  Thus,  it  is  hardly  surprising  that  the …

Why do groups form and how do groups develop? In this entry, different perspectives on group development  are  examined.  There  are  a  number  of reasons  that  people  join  groups.  William  Schutz theorized humans seek out groups in an effort to fulfill  one  or  more  of  the  following  fundamental needs:  (1)  need  for  inclusion—desire  for  affiliation, …

A group is defined as a social aggregate of two or more people that involves mutual awareness, interaction,  and  interdependence  of  its  members.  The characteristics  of  the  group  shape  the  beliefs  and behaviors of its members. In this entry, two categories of group characteristics are examined, namely (1) characteristics of the group and (2) characteristics…

Conformity refers to the process of matching one’s actions or beliefs with the behavior and norms of those around us. Research into the nature of this phenomenon was popularized by prominent social psychologists in the early to mid-20th century such as Muzafer Sherif and Solomon Asch. Today, there exists  a  well-established  literature  base  regarding the …