This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. It provides Dr. Sachs’s honest and open remarks along with interspersed additions from the authors to introduce the field and its accompanying issues. In explaining his career trajectory, Dr. Sachs recalls earning his undergraduate degree in psychology and then applying to graduate programs in applied behavioral analysis. Dr. Sachs’s somewhat zigzagged trajectory in the field demonstrates the important sport and exercise psychology principle that explains the benefits of focusing on the process rather than the outcome when setting goals. Dr. Sachs added that the United States leads the way in research and writing with regard to sport and exercise psychology, while other countries may be more advanced in the application of that knowledge at the professional levels.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. The idea that people are born with certain abilities and traits which predispose them for success in any given area explains the nature approach. This perspective proposes a limit to one’s athletic-, exercise-, or performance-related prowess based on available genes. These studies cite differences in endurance capacity, muscle performance, hemodynamics, as well as metabolism, anthropometry, and body composition. The case for nurture was made most notably by Dr. Ericsson through his discussion of deliberate practice. Similarly, he cites Roe’s research, which found many eminent scientists to have intelligence quotient (IQs) below the average of other PhDs, claiming one’s success in any field of study is likely in part due to capacity but also hard work.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. This chapter explains some of the existing research into the identities of gender, race, and sexual orientation. It describes the impact and influence of various identities, how these are social constructions, and what life would be like if one identified in another way. The three components of racial/ethnic identity include: awareness, self-identification, and attitudes. Gender identity has been studied through three theoretical lenses; namely essentialist, which views males as inherently masculine and females as inherently feminine, developmental, which sees gender identity as a stage-related process, and socialization, which sees identity as developing over time based on lessons learned from parents and others. According to Brinkman et al., the first two categories fail to address individual differences, and presume people are passive receptors rather than active agents, and although socialization theories address individual differences, they still assume children are passive in the process of identity development.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. This chapter presents benefits and consequences of having a strong athletic identity or exercise identity, and suggests that developing a positive identity encourages healthy behaviors in one and others and means for creating a shared team/group identity in the midst of all the differences. It provides class discussion scenarios that initiate conversation regarding additional identities including ability status and age. The individual differences associated with personality and the existence of alternative identities will influence the strength and flexibility of one’s athletic identity. Studies have found the strength of an athletic identity in youth swimmers with cerebral palsy, amputations, paraplegia, les austres, visual impairments, and osteoporosis to be similar to scores previously found in high school runners. With regard to teens and young adults, exercise identity outcomes have been associated with primarily beneficial healthy results, but also the risk of coexisting unhealthy outcomes.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. Numerous psychologists have developed personality theories, including Carl Jung, who presumed that behaviors were dictated by human unconscious and inferred from this that personality is innate. Ultimately, Jung explained personality as a combination of being an extrovert or introvert, along with the other four mental processes namely thinking, feeling, sensing, and intuition. Personality is defined as inherent biological traits or tendencies that predispose individuals to more consistently act in a given way. Lewis and Sutton examined exercise motivation and personality in predicting frequency of exercise behavior. Coaches may prefer athletes with certain personality traits because those traits influence their ability to work together. In the sport psychology literature, some reoccurring themes of mental toughness included coping with pressure, recovering from setbacks, persistence, being competitive with oneself and others, resilience, unshake-able belief in oneself, being in control, thriving under pressure, and having superior mental skills.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. People will make assumptions about the personality based on the appearance, clothing, and so on. The complicated nature of understanding other’s personality or best depicting one’s own is even more significant in a time of evergrowing social media exposure. Personality plays a role in performance venues because it influences the dynamics of the group members and the effectiveness of leadership. When dealing with more interactive groups, it is important to encourage team cohesion regardless of individual traits. Additionally sport psychology consultants may be brought in and use strategies such as team themes, trust activities, or discussions regarding the benefits of varying personality types toward team success. Team building strategy helps individuals focus more fully on the collective team personality as opposed to their own individual traits. Some of the personality traits included are emotional stability, equity sensitivity, fitness motivation, hostility to authority, and tolerance for stress and injury.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. This chapter focuses on the interactional theories and a model of behavior change in an attempt at explaining possible influences impelling action, persistence, or quitting. Self-Determination Theory (SDT) explains motivation in relation to a person’s desire to fulfill his or her basic needs. According to the SDT, motivational levels fall somewhere on a continuum from amotivation to intrinsic motivation. Obviously Darius’s experience demonstrates a reversal of motivation. Understanding SDT can help coaches and others in leadership roles to create motivational climates. Scanlan et al’s Sport Commitment Model provides reasons for persistence. This model was designed after collecting data on athlete’s reasons for continuing with their sport. Involvement opportunities were the most powerful predictor of commitment to a program, followed by personal investment and enjoyment. Motivation is likely one of the most critical variables in determining one’s behaviors and ultimate success because it impels them to act or sit still.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. This chapter addresses problems associated with overcommitment, including pushing one’s body to failure, addiction, and disordered eating. It then addresses reasons for under-commitment and dropout. The chapter also provides suggestions for maintaining a healthy motivation and commitment and helping others to do the same. The difference between healthy exercise habits and exercise addiction is that addicted exercisers will continue their efforts regardless the negative physical or social ramifications. Researchers have identified that aesthetic performers, such as dancers and gymnasts, engage in disordered eating, at least in part, due to their motivation to improve. Imagery is considered as one of the most popular mental skills used by performers in various domains. Athletes and other performers may use some images before, during or after practice, competition, or rehabilitation from injury to increase motivation to perform and/or return. Overcommitted individuals require process goals to keep them focused on and engaged in the moment.

This chapter addresses the key principles of sport, exercise, and performance psychology. It reflects the broadening of sport psychology studies to encompass more widespread human performance research. Self-efficacy is said to influence whether people are optimistic or pessimistic, the goals they select, and their willingness to persist in the face of failure. Bandura’s Self-efficacy Theory presumes that efficacy beliefs are influenced by four possible variables, which he termed as performance accomplishments, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion and physiological states. A meta-analysis of sport-specific studies found a positive, moderate relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and sport performance. Vealey conceptualized a sport-confidence model, which explained sport-confidence as the belief or degree of certainty individuals possess regarding their chances of success overall in sport and in any particular moment. Fear of failure has been discussed as a personality disposition leading individuals to focus on the perceived connection between failure and aversive consequences.