Sport psychology research and its application in China

Abstract

Abstract From the early 1980s to the mid-1990s, the focus of research in sport psychology was primarily on talent identification. The movement behind talent identification was based on the belief that sporting abilities and potentials are innate, but the environment in which individuals are raised can also shape their future sporting success. However, from the beginning, the purpose of sport psychology in China was to enhance performance in high-level competitive sport, a direction that was determined by both political and social considerations. This article reviews the development of sport psychology in China over the last thirty years, using Chinese sources primarily from mainland China and to a lesser extent Hong Kong. In order to reflect this development, it presents, in chronological order, the developments in the four important areas of talent identification, sport cognition, mental training models, and on-field psychological support.