Sports psychology is a developing field that studies the highs of victory and the lows of physical and mental stress experienced by athletes. Psychologists first began studying sports in the 1930s, but originally they were mostly concerned with how people acquired motor skills. In the 1960s, the modern field of sports psychology emerged, heavily influenced by social psychology. Sports psychologists now research hypnosis, motivation, relaxation, personality, socialization, competition and mental imagery.
Personality Studies
Personality studies delve into what traits distinguish athletes from their less physically gifted brethren. Psychologists have studied the personalities of runners, wrestlers and rowers, among others. One example of a personality study is Daniel J. Garland and John R. Barry's study of leadership and personality traits in collegiate football, published in the "Journal of Research in Personality" in September 1990. By using questionnaires, they found that emotional stability, extroversion, and tough-mindedness were some of the key predictors of good performance.
Motivation Studies
Some sports psychologists study motivation, for example, trying to determine the proper arousal level for athletes to do their best work. Too much arousal leads to clumsiness and distraction. Successful athletes are able to focus their minds and control their arousal despite the excitement of their game. Another area of motivation studies is figuring out how to get non-athletes to exercise regularly to improve their health.
Social Influence Studies
Studies that focus on social influence involve the effects of teammates, competitors and spectators on the performance of the athlete. Specific kinds of behavior, such as aggression, are also studied. Sports psychologists test commonly held theories, such as whether strong team cohesion leads to more wins, and whether positive reinforcement is the best coaching style. This area of study was especially prominent in the 1960s and 1970s.
Mental Imagery
Mental imagery, also known as mental rehearsal or visualization, is accomplished by concentrating on a planned experience that isn't actually happening. For instance, you could lie in bed and concentrate on your perfect golf swing. Many studies have found that mental imagery works, including one published by R. Roure and other researchers from the Université Claude Bernard in Villeurbanne, France. In their study, published in the July 1998 issue of the "European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology," Roure's subjects used mental imagery to practice passing an opponent's serve to a volleyball teammate. Roure concluded that six different parts of the autonomic nervous system responded to this visualization, suggesting that this might make a significant difference in actual practice.
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