Questions of Culture in the World of Sports

Sports and Psychology

Sports Psychology is a rapidly growing area of interest among professionals and amateurs alike. The Division of Exercise and Sports Psychology of the American Psychological Association was founded in 1986 without a single statement of opposition from any of the Association's voting members. In 2004, members of the British Psychological Society are working to create a new Division in Sport and Exercise Psychology, thereby raising the profile of the already-existing Section within the society.

Sports Psychology crosses traditional boundaries within the study of psychology. In both applied and research fields, sports psychologists are drawn from psychological sub-specialities such as developmental, educational, clinical, counseling, industrial, comparative, physiological, social, personality, hypnosis, motivation, human factors, ergonomics, and health psychology.

Reflecting this wide academic background, sports psychology addresses many different areas of interest within the broad themes of Sport, Exercise and Leisure. Some psychologists are concerned with research issues and applications involving competitive athletics, and some even restrict their attention to elite athletes who perform at the national and international levels. This includes the psychology of elite performance, individual and group processes in sport, and motivational issues in sport and exercise.

However, an equal number focus on the study and application of exercise and sport in noncompetitive settings. These psychologists, for example, study exercise and sport from the perspective of motor development and motor learning, compliance recidivism, the aging process, prevention of various psychic and somatic disorders, personality structure and high-risk occupations (e.g., firefighters) or recreational pursuits (e.g., scuba and sky diving), and cellular adaptations at both the peripheral and central levels. Psychological factors in the adoption and maintenance of exercise behaviour together with issues surrounding sport, exercise and mental health are key areas of research interest.


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