Chapter 18

Sport and
Exercise Psychology
Definition of Sport and
Exercise Psychology
• Psychology: study of human
behavior
• Sport Psychology: application of
psychology to issues and
problems in the world of sport
• Exercise Psychology: application
of psychology to issues and
problems in the fields of fitness,
exercise, and physical activity
Development of Sport and
Exercise Psychology

• Two major approaches to the field

1. Academic study of sport and exercise
psychology
2. Application to those who are engaged in
sport and exercise
• Roles for both fields are unlicensed,
unlike clinical psychologists who can
later specialize in sports psychology
 Development of
Sport Psychology
• Coleman Griffith, a psychologist (1928) is
considered to be the grandfather of sport
psychology in America
• Until the 1960’s, the field was not actively
pursued
• Formation of the International Congress of
Sport Psychology in 1965 in Rome, Italy
• North American Society for the Psychology
of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)
was formed in 1968
• In the 1970’s, graduate students were
allowed to prepare for specialized studies
 Development of
Sport Psychology, cont’d

• In 1985, the Advancement of Applied

Sport Psychology (AAASP) was
formed
• The APA (1987) developed Division
47, devoted towards Sport Psychology
• During the 1980’s, the term “exercise
psychology” was formed as a
companion field to sport psychology
Current Status of Sport and
Exercise Psychology
• Clinical and research practice seem
very promising
• The field still has a division between
those who “study” and those who
“work” with athletes
• Dishman and Buckworth (2001) state
that 4 areas should be involved:
1. Exercise and mental health
2. Anxiety and depression
3. Sleep
4. Self esteem
 What Do Sport and
Exercise Psychologists Do?

• Employed by universities and

colleges
• Teach graduate courses, perform
research, and advise grad students
• Work with sport teams or individual
athletes in two ways:
1. Performance enhancement role
2. Counseling role
Psychological Interventions
Used With Athletes

• Relaxation training
• Cue-controlled relaxation
• Desensitization
• Mental imaging
• Coping strategies
• Cover modeling
How to Prepare to Become a
Sports Psychologist?

• 3 primary paths
1. Graduate training in sport psychology
2. Graduate training in clinical psychology
3. Training in counseling psychology
• No special license or certification is
needed to practice sport psychology
• Minimal educational experiences is
needed, i.e., doctoral degree
Current Issues and Problems
in Sport Psychology

• Two main issues

– Differences between academic and
consulting sport psychologists
– Issues of licensing
• Other issues involve the degree which
evidence supports claims that sport
and exercise psychology interventions
are actually responsible for
performance gains and other
important outcomes
 Chapter 18

Sport and Exercise Psychology