Category: Sports Psychology

In  1954,  Muzafer  Sherif,  O.  J.  Harvey,  B.  Jack White,  William  R.  Hood,  and  Carolyn  W.  Sherif undertook a project that allowed them to examine inter and  intragroup  relationships  in  a  naturalistic  setting.  This  classic  field-based  experimental study,  known  as  the  Robbers  Cave  Experiment because  of  its  location  (Robbers  Cave  State  Park in   Oklahoma),   involved  …

Competition  is  often  described  as  a  contest,  or  a process  of  contesting,  between  two  or  more  parties (organisms, individuals, or groups) for a scarce resource  or  good.  The  scarcity  can  result  from nature  or  history,  such  as  competition  for  limited food, or it can be created artificially, such as the good of winning a game.…

Albert  Bandura  defined  collective  efficacy  (CE) as a group’s shared belief in its conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required  to  produce  given  levels  of  attainments, that  is,  situation-specific  confidence  in  a  group’s ability. A commonly used definition of CE in sport and exercise is a group’s (e.g., a sport team…

Cohesion  represents  the  degree  to  which  task and social bonds exist among group members, as well as the strength of individuals’ attractions to the  task  and  social  activities  of  the  group.  This entry  briefly  highlights  the  history,  characteristics,  conceptualization,  measurement,  and  correlates  of  cohesion  within  sport  and  exercise environments. History Interest in and discussion surrounding…

The  fact  that  groups  can  influence  outcomes important  to  both  the  individual  and  the  group has been recognized for decades. One group variable that has been proposed to be important in this regard  is  the  member’s  perception  of  the  group’s cohesiveness—staying  with  a  group  to  achieve goals or for member satisfaction. Numerous studies  have  emerged …

 In  many  ways,  the  history  of  sport  psychology mirrors  the  history  of  other  longstanding  disciplines,  including  psychology,  physical  education, and  other  kinesiology-related  disciplines,  and  has been  influenced  by  larger  sociocultural  trends  for decades,  for  example,  the  growth  of  the  Olympic movement, professionalization of sport, and women’s  liberation.  Progressing  through  a  number  of eras,  sport  psychology …

The term transition has been employed in various academic fields to explain a process of changes in a  certain  phenomenon,  such  as  economic,  political,  biological,  and  psychological  changes.  The concept  of  transition  in  psychology  is  closely related  to  individuals’  period  of  change  and  lifespan  development  based  on  one’s  aging  (e.g., retirement),  development  (e.g.,  entering  to …

Individuals  preparing  for  a  career  in  sport  and exercise  psychology  (SEP)  have  traditionally  followed  one  of  two  educational  paths,  training  in kinesiology  or  training  in  psychology.  In  keeping with  most  international  credentialing  guidelines for certification or licensure of SEP professionals, both educational paths typically feature substantial coursework  in  the  other  discipline,  reflecting  the interdisciplinary  nature …

Supervision is a central component of professional training  and  development,  providing  opportunities  for  sport  psychology  (SP)  practitioners  at  all levels  to  use  the  experiences  and  knowledge  of others  to  examine  themselves.  Supervision  is  also required  for  certification  or  licensure  (e.g.,  registration, chartering) in most of the psychology and helping  professions  (e.g.,  psychology,  counseling, social work),…

Like  sport  psychology  (SP),  the  field  of  sport psychiatry  may  involve  utilization  of  psychological  approaches  to  enhance  athletic  performance. However,  a  primary  focus  of  sport  psychiatry  is diagnosis  and  treatment  of  mental  illness  in  athletes. Sport psychiatry is a relatively new field, and as such, the research base is still developing. This entry reviews the…