Participation in running events of extreme lengths, known as ultra-marathons, has become increasingly popular in the last 30 years. Not unexpectedly, distances of up to 100 miles or durations of 24 hours impose extensive physiological and psychological strain on the body, placing these events among the toughest tests of strength both for the mind and […]
Sports performance is determined by many factors. According to Serpa (1999), and the trends from the literature, the coach-athlete relationship is an important factor affecting sport performance. Within the realms of the 3 C’s Conceptual Model, the coach-athlete relationship is defined by the interdependence and influence between coaches’ and athletes’ thoughts, feelings and behaviours (Jowett […]
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 1999) is a treatment approach that views experiential avoidance, inflexible attentional processes and reduced attempts to pursue valued behaviors as the sources of psychological dysfunction. These issues result in what is known as psychological inflexibility, or the inability to change one’s behavior or focus of attention […]
With arguably the World’s most prestigious event on our doorstep, it will be the team who hold their nerve and rise to the occasion which will lift the World Cup. This article discusses the psychology and science behind control on the big stage, why individual players and teams rise to the occasion. Over the years […]
The World Cup 2014 is upon us and all eyes will be on the host nation Brazil. The purpose of this article is to outline the concept of ‘home advantage.’ In providing this outline, there will be an opportunity to address the expectancy levels of Brazil. To supplement this, the psychological factors associated to helping […]
As many theories in psychology suggest, our actions, behaviour and personality is greatly influenced by those within our lives, whether friends, parents, teachers, or in a sporting scenario, our coaches. This article shall look at how a coach can hold significant power in the coach-athlete relationship, which ultimately can play a role in athlete burnout. […]
Everything within our lives is subject to change; whether it be our looks, where we live, or our friendship circle. In sport, as an athlete develops and progresses it is likely that they are going to experience changes, such as who they are being coached by, their teams, or in some cases, the country they […]
Ex-England cricket batsman Kevin Pietersen (KP) is in the limelight again as Paul Downton, the managing director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) talks about the reasons behind KP’s early departure from international cricket. KP was controversially axed from the England side following the team’s 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia earlier this […]
If anyone is a fan of watching shows on TV such as ‘Psychopath Night’, then here is a short article for you to think about! There is an extensive amount of research surrounding the psychopathic personality traits of individuals in a clinical setting. To name a few, research suggests that personality characteristics such as a […]
Everybody working in the field of sports knows that one critical factor to develop and perform is to get in the zone. The zone is that state in which one feels optimal to perform. He/she feels confident, free in mind, looking forward to the challenge, in short everything that’s needed to perform the best that […]