Advertisers are experts on human motivation and decision-making, using psychology to get us to buy their products or use their services. Take a look at these two commercials for mouthwash. Aside from any brand loyalty you might have, which of the two would be more likely to motivate you to start using mouthwash, if you […]
As the sporting world today is becoming more competitive than ever, professional teams and individuals are always looking to gain that competitive advantage over their opponents and rivals. Data (or tangible evidence) is becoming increasingly popular among professional outfits and if obtained correctly, the data can suggest areas of strength and areas of improvement. With […]
For elite athletes, fitness fanatics and gym goers, having the right frame of mind is the best way to achieve the perfect performance. The highest level of intrinsic motivation is know as flow. Flow is described as the complete immersion in an activity to the point in which nothing else matters. Hungarian psychologist Professor Mihaly […]
Too often, team sports managements disenfranchise young players or potentially good players by treating them like pieces of meat. If they are not up to making the first team, they are not important for a lot of coaches. Remember that athletes (especially young ones) develop at different rates and that a weak 12 year old […]
In elite sport, motivation is a key psychological trait that is needed to excel. Elite players need high levels of motivation to push themselves to their limits and to be able to deal with the pressures of training and playing constantly each week. The question that can be asked, is why are these players so […]
Confidence is best considered a belief a person has about their ability to execute a specific task successfully (e.g., a penalty kick in rugby) in order to obtain a certain outcome (e.g., points, self-satisfaction or coach recognition). Years of sport psychology research tells us that confidence is the key differentiating psychological factor between successful and […]
I do a lot of work in health behaviour change in the NHS and one of the main goals for my clients is to get a healthier weight through being more active and eating more nutritious food (I hate the word ‘diet’). Essentially they are trying to develop new healthy habits and extinguish old unhealthy […]
Thankfully coaching these days is less about vilifying athletes for every mistake they make and about making them look foolish in front of their peers. Unless of course you still subscribe to the English FA’s “stop, stand still” method of command style coaching. Contemporary thinking is more about actively encouraging the athlete to make mistakes […]
As a Positive Psychologist with a background in, and passion for, sport and exercise, I often get asked about the link between the areas, and where the disciplines of Positive Psychology, and Sport Psychology fit together. Positive Psychology may be defined as, ‘the science of how to make individuals, businesses, and communities thrive’, with physical […]