Sport Psychology Research Research Articles

Reflections on qualitative research in sport psychology

Four primarily quantitative researchers in the field of sport and exercise psychology offer their observations on qualitative methods. Topics addressed include their assessment of certain strengths and weaknesses of qualitative research, frustrations and concerns in reading and evaluating qualitative research, and speculation on the future of qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology.

Metaqualitative reflections in sport and exercise psychology

In responding to a series of questions regarding qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology, we offer our reflections on the: (a) strengths/merits and weaknesses/limitations of qualitative research; (b) frustrations, joys, concerns and dilemmas associated with evaluating, teaching or reading qualitative research and (c) future of qualitative research. We identify numerous positive aspects of qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology, which are tempered only slightly by several negative aspects. We argue that qualitative methods hold considerable promise for future research in sport and exercise psychology.

Never the twain shall meet? Quantitative psychological researchers’ perspectives on qualitative research

The aim of this article was to provide a quantitative researchers’ perspective on qualitative research applied to sport and exercise psychology. Specifically, we aimed to identify some of the ‘problems’ that researchers adopting a predominantly quantitative, ‘natural science’ approach to psychological phenomena in psychology have with qualitative approaches. In addition, we also identified, as researchers from a predominantly background, the merits of adopting multi-method approach using both quantitative and qualitative methods in psychological research in sport and exercise psychology. We identified four potential ‘problems’ that quantitative researchers have with qualitative research: it is ‘atheoretical’, not sufficiently rigorous, lacks ‘objectivity’ and is not generalisable. We argue that many of these ‘problems’ arise from uninformed prejudice and that many studies in quantitative research are also subject to the perceived ‘problems’ levelled at qualitative research. In conclusion, we provide advocacy for multi-method approaches using qualitative methods to inform quantitative research and provide examples from the psychological literature such as the development of psychometric measures. We also encourage quantitative researchers to examine the potential merits of integrating qualitative approaches in their research to provide a comprehensive explanation of the phenomenon of interest.

Traversing the qualitative–quantitative divide using mixed methods: some reflections and reconciliations for sport and exercise psychology

The aim of this paper was to provide commentary on one prevalent theme found in many of the articles within the current special issue: the notion of moving beyond a qualitative–quantitative divide using mixed methods to help navigate and/or reconcile this divide. This commentary highlights several key controversial issues in mixed methods literature within the social sciences in order to raise critical consciousness about such issues. We explore these distinct yet interrelated issues in the form of two central questions: what are mixed methods? And do mixed methods privilege post-positivism? As the field of sport and exercise psychology moves towards blurred genres in qualitative research (i.e. acknowledging a full range of paradigms, methods and strategies and the boundaries between them softened), such questions are important to raise and consider in order to advance critical dialogues on mixed methods within the field, allowing researchers to be more open, critical and reflexive. Our commentary concludes by offering some final reflections on mixed methods research in sport and exercise psychology in the light of these issues and questions.

Qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology: observations of a non-qualitative researcher

The authors of articles examining quantitative and qualitative research frequently highlight and over-emphasise the differences in these two research paradigms. Differences are typically portrayed as dichotomous vs. differences in emphasis or degree. Additionally, similarities and shared middle ground are often ignored. The above perspective can lead to incomplete, inaccurate and misleading reviews on both types of research. Furthermore, the above commentaries can discourage genuine dialogue among researchers from both areas. In the current paper, I hope to avoid the above approaches and focus on legitimate differences as well as similarities among qualitative and quantitative research. In brief, I discuss areas of legitimate and substantial differences: philosophy of science issues and reality. I then examine areas where differences of a dubious nature are discussed because they are based on inaccuracies and straw men. Finally, I briefly discuss writing style followed by an examination of areas of agreement that are often overlooked.

Whatever happened to the third paradigm? Exploring mixed methods research designs in sport and exercise psychology

In the past, quantitative and qualitative approaches to research were portrayed as being incompatible, if not mutually exclusive. More recently, however, researchers have explored the possible complementarity of these approaches through mixed methods research (MMR) – the so-called third research paradigm. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature and implications of mixed methods designs for research in sport and exercise psychology. Having sketched the nature and origins of MMR, we highlight some advantages it offers to researchers in sport and exercise psychology. After that, we conclude by identifying some barriers to progress in using MMR in this latter field.

Investigating Central Mechanisms Underlying the Effects of Action Observation and Imagery Through Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

ABSTRACT Sport and exercise psychologists provide some interventions for clients based on limited direct evidence and partial understanding of the mechanisms that underpin their efficacy. The authors review a recent technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), which offers a tested procedure for investigating cortical activity during observation and imagery processes. They provide a detailed description of the TMS protocol and highlight some of the key studies that inform sport and exercise psychology research. Finally, the authors offer some thoughts on the direct application to practice.

Phenomenology and Sports Psychology: Back To The Things Themselves!

It is argued that the increasing interest in the use of phenomenological methods in sport psychology could help rescue research in this area from its current obsession with measurement and prediction. Phenomenology proceeds from a very different set of philosophical assumptions from the natural science approach that underlies most research and practice in sport psychology. Phenomenology insists that psychology should focus on meaning and investigate the essence of human experience. The concept of anxiety occupies a central position within phenomenological perspectives in psychology. This paper examines the experience of anxiety in sport by drawing on applied sport psychology work undertaken with professional footballers in the English Premier League (EPL). The phenomenology of anxiety is considered by distinguishing between May's psychological account and Heidegger's philosophical perspective. Anxiety is viewed positively by both philosophical and psychological phenomenology due to its links to the idea of authenticity. This is discussed in depth in the paper and consideration will be given to how this connects to important sources of meaning and identity in sport, such as spirituality and religious belief.

Benefits and Usefulness of a Personal Motivation Video: A Case Study of a Professional Mountain Bike Racer

Video has been incorporated into coaching and sport performance for skill development and as a feedback instrument. The purpose of the study was to examine the perceived usefulness and benefits such as enhanced motivation, concentration, and anxiety management of using a personal motivation video (PMV). A PMV is a video with music personally created for the athlete. The participant was a 23-year-old male professional mountain bike racer. Data from open-ended interviews and evaluation forms were examined. Results indicated the PMV to be particularly useful for motivation, mental imagery, confidence and emotional management, and concentration. PMVs can be a creative and useful tool for sport psychology researchers and practitioners to apply imagery in a unique way. Recommendations for improvements to the PMV for future use are highlighted, as well as suggestions for future research and applications are presented.

Self-Presentation Origins of Choking: Evidence From Separate Pressure Manipulations

Whether self-presentation is involved in the choking process remains unknown. The purpose of the current study was to determine the role of self-presentation concerns on the frequency of choking within the context of a recently proposed self-presentation model. Experienced field hockey players (N = 45) were randomly assigned to one of five groups (i.e., performance-contingent monetary incentive, video camera placebo, video camera self-presentation, audience, or combined pressure), before taking penalty strokes in low- and high-pressure phases. Results indicated that groups exposed to self-presentation manipulations experienced choking, whereas those receiving motivational pressure treatments decreased anxiety and increased performance under pressure. Furthermore, cognitive state anxiety mediated the relationship between the self-presentation group and performance. These findings provide quantitative support for the proposed self-presentation model of choking, while also holding implications for anxiety manipulations in future sport psychology research.

A report on psychological well-being and physical self-perception in five sports groups

This research compared psychological well-being and physical self-perceptions of convenience samples of health club members, hockey players, runners, soccer players, surfers and a control group of non-sports persons. All sports groups perceived themselves to be significantly more psychologically well than the control group. There were no significant differences in perceived psychological well-being among the sports groups themselves, who ranked from highest to lowest in the following order: surfers, soccer players, runners, hockey players and health club members. Only surfers and soccer players had higher physical self-perception scores than the control group. However, between group comparisons for physical self-perception indicated that surfers scored significantly higher than health club members, hockey players and runners, and that soccer players scored significantly higher than health club members and runners. The relevance of these findings and further implications for health and sport psychological research and practice are discussed.Keywords: Physical activity, sport, exercise; psychological well-being, physical self-perception.

Positive emotion in sport performance: current status and future directions

Emotions have firmly established their place in sport psychology research over the past 40 years. For many decades following World War II, mainstream psychology researchers placed negative emotions (e.g., anxiety) ahead of positive emotions (e.g., happiness) but positive emotions are now a genuine, promising field of research because of their influence on specific components of performance (e.g., attention) and psychological well-being. The benefits of these emotions have hitherto not been wholly realized in a sport context, especially in their capacity to generate greater self-efficacy, motivation, attention, problem-solving, and coping with adversity. Although the sport emotion literature is sprinkled with studies that specifically examined positive emotion in sport settings, the breadth and depth of this research is too thin to make bold claims about the value of positive emotions in the emotion-performance relation. There are, however, at least three theoretical models available to sport psychologists to better understand the influence of positive emotions on sport performance and two of these models are specifically designed for sport contexts. Not only can these models deepen and widen this knowledge base, but they can also support interventions in applied settings to improve performance and psychological well-being.

‘In it for the long run’: sources of self-efficacy in adolescent female athletes

IntroductionMost research in sport psychology investigating the sources of efficacious beliefs has been conducted within the parameters of Bandura's (1977) self-efficacy theory.1 Within the context of a situation six sources...

Coaching Efficacy and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling: A Substantive-Methodological Synergy

The purpose of this article was to provide a substantive-methodological synergy of potential importance to future research in sport and exercise psychology. The substantive focus was to improve the measurement of coaching efficacy by developing a revised version of the coaching efficacy scale (CES) for head coaches (N = 557) of youth sport teams (CES II-YST). The methodological focus was exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), a methodology that integrates the advantages of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) within the general structural equation model (SEM). The synergy was a demonstration of how ESEM (as compared with CFA) may be used, guided by content knowledge, to develop (or confirm) a measurement model for the CES II-YST. A single-group ESEM provided evidence for close model-data fit, while a single-group CFA fit significantly worse than the single-group ESEM and provided evidence for only approximate model-data fit. A multiple-group ESEM provided evidence for partial factorial invariance by coach's gender.

The Psychosocial Dynamics of Youth Disability Sport

The Psychosocial Dynamics of Youth Disability SportThe purpose of this article is to review research on the psychosocial aspects of youth disability sport and physical activity (PA). Sport psychology research spanning the self-perception areas of self-concept, self-esteem, athletic identity, self-efficacy, and perceived competence will be examined. More specifically research documenting the psychological benefits of disability sport will be covered such as self-esteem enhancement. A second focus of the current chapter will be on the social aspects of disability sport. For instance, both the positive (e.g., enhanced peer relations) and negative (e.g., teasing) ramifications of sport and PA involvement will be reviewed. Research on the family, parents, siblings, and peers will be examined. Finally, the intersection of both areas (i.e., psychological and social) will also be covered as social mechanisms of influence (e.g., parental encouragement) have strong influences on psychological constructs such as athlete's perceived competence and PA. The chapter will be concluded with a brief summary.

Making Goals Effective: A Primer for Coaches

The purpose of this paper is to present coaches with guidelines for setting up a goal-setting program. Research in sport and organizational psychology is briefly reviewed to provide a background of empirical support for the positive effects of goal setting on performance along with specifying different types of goals. Goal principles reviewed include making goals specific and measurable, written, realistic/challenging, short and long-term, and both individual and team-oriented. In addition, goals need to have specific implementation plans, be used extensively in practice, and be used in combinations. A case study which focuses on a goal-setting program is presented which highlights the process of goal implementation.

The role of working memory in sport

The concept of working memory has received a great deal of attention in the last couple of decades and discussions of working memory are now common in almost all branches of psychology, including cognitive, clinical, social, developmental, and educational settings. Therefore, it is surprising that the concept of working memory has received a lot less attention in the field of sport psychology compared to other branches of psychology, especially since research in sport psychology has increasingly incorporated cognitive concepts such as attention, perception and decision-making, which are purported to rely heavily on working memory. Thus, it is essential, in our opinion, to systematically investigate the working memory system in the field of sports, which offers a fruitful domain to explore the validity of models developed in other fields. This review provides an overview of working memory theory and discusses its relevance in sport psychology. We end the review by giving an outlook of potentially fruitful research areas on working memory in sport.

BEHAVIIORAL COACHING TO IMPROVE OFFENSIVE LINE PASS‐BLOCKING SKILLS OF HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL ATHLETES

We evaluated several behavioral coaching procedures for improving offensive line pass-blocking skills with 5 high school varsity football players. Pass blocking was measured during practice drills and games, and our intervention included descriptive feedback with and without video feedback and teaching with acoustical guidance (TAG). Intervention components and pass blocking were evaluated in a multiple baseline design, which showed that video feedback and TAG were the most effective procedures. For all players, improved pass blocking matched a standard derived by observing more experienced linemen and was evident in games. Additional intervention was required to maintain pass-blocking proficiency. Issues pertinent to behavioral coaching and sport psychology research are discussed.

Handbook of diversity in feminist psychology

The feminist paradigm has been advocated as an appropriate alternative framework for sport psychology theory and research. The current paper. T.D. Nelson (Editor) Handbook of Prejudice, Stereotyping, and discrimination. Taylor and Bringing cultural diversity to feminist psychology. New York, NY. Editorial Board, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 1994-2003. Book Review Feminist and multicultural perspectives in trauma psychology. In S. Gold, C. In T. Patterson (Ed.) Comprehensive handbook of psychotherapy:. A native of Cuba, Dr. Espin received her BA in Psychology from the and Feminist Psychotherapies: Origins, Themes, and Diversity (2004, Haworth Press) and With Women (Psychology of Women (2015), The Oxford Handbook of Feminist. Director, Social Justice and Diversity Research Lab 2010 Oliva Espin Award for Social Justice Concerns in Feminist Psychology: Immigration and Gender. James Padilla Chair of Arts and Sciences / Professor of Psychology feminism and psychology, in particular the emergence of a large, diverse field of research pertaining to gender and women. feminist methodological and epistemological critiques of psychology and In Handbook of Theories in Social Psychology ed. Feminist attitudes and support for gender equality: Opinion change in women and men, 1974–1998. In Handbook of diversity in feminist psychology, ed. BA Psychology about cultural considerations critical for effective delivery with diverse populations. Handbook of Diversity in Feminist Psychology. The Track 1 60 hour program is one of three Professional Psychology diversity, gender, power and privilege relating to age, culture, ethnicity, strengths in the areas of substance abuse, feminist theory, qualitative research methods,. School Psychology Student Association To promote and support the pursuit of professional preparation in the field of School Psychology. icon Send message. PSY 435 Advanced Seminar in Social Psychology. PSY 651 In H. Landrine & N. Russo (Eds.), Handbook of Diversity in Feminist Psychology (pp. 391-425). In recent years diversity and its management has become a feature of modern and postmodern organizations. Different practices have spread around the globe. Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Clinical Psychology An announcement calling for applications from NSSR psychology students Today, I consider myself to be many things – a student, a researcher, a feminist, a Puerto-Rican American, a social justice activist. Download Department of Psychology Handbook (PDF). handbook of feminist research: theory and praxis by free pdf and manual download. handbook of diversity in feminist psychology springer publishing. This Handbook presents both a theoretical and practical approach to conducting It develops an understanding of feminist research by introducing a range. In (D.W. Sue and D. Sue, Eds.) Counseling the culturally diverse, pp. 517526. Feminist multicultural counseling psychology and poverty. In (Enns, C. Z. & Williams, E. N., Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Feminist Multicultural Counseling, pp. Student Handbook to Psychology Personality and Abnormal Psychology Quick view Handbook of Diversity in Feminist Psychology. Although many studies do not have diverse samples, high rates of In H. Landrine & N. F. Russo (Eds.), Handbook of diversity in feminist psychology (pp. Carol Zerbe Enns, professor of psychology at Cornell College, is lead editor of “Psychological Practice With Women: Guidelines, Diversity, Empowerment,” Justice” and the “Oxford Handbook of Feminist Multicultural Counseling Psychology.

A quality debate on grounded theory in sport and exercise psychology? A commentary on potential areas for future debate

Objectives The objective of this commentary on my own ( Weed, 2009a) and Holt and Tamminen’s (2010) recent contributions on the use of grounded theory in sport and exercise psychology is to identify those areas in which there is debate, and those where there is agreement, and to suggest the key areas on which future debate might most productively and usefully focus. Methods The two contributions are discussed to examine their contribution to a quality debate on grounded theory: both a debate about the quality of grounded theory research, and a debate of high quality on grounded theory. Results While there is some disagreement between Holt and Tamminen (2010) and myself ( Weed, 2009a) on the appropriateness of search strategies used to identify grounded theory research in sport and exercise psychology, and on the extent to which an attempt is being made to police or correct methods, on the more substantive issues relating to micro-level research quality considerations for grounded theory in sport and exercise psychology there appears to be little on which there is substantive debate or disagreement. However, there appears to be much greater scope for productive debate on macro-level considerations relating to the ontological and epistemological underpinnings of variants of grounded theory, and their implications for research quality. This is clear from the wider grounded theory literature, but these important aspects of a high quality debate on grounded theory have not yet been extensively addressed in sport and exercise psychology. Conclusion While there is little substantive disagreement about issues of micro-level research quality considerations for grounded theory in sport and exercise psychology, a high quality debate in the future must recognise that micro-level research quality is inextricably linked with quality concerns for grounded theory in sport and exercise psychology at the macro-level.