Sport and Exercise Psychology Research

From Theory to Practice

Markus Raab,Paul Wylleman,Roland Seiler,Anne-Marie Elbe,Antonis Hatzigeorgiadis

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9780128036655
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Cognitive Neuroscience & Neuropsychology
• Index: Psychology

Sport and Exercise Psychology Research: From Theory to Practice provides a comprehensive summary of new research in sport and exercise psychology from worldwide researchers. Encompassing theory, research, and applications, the book is split into several themed sections. Section 1 discusses basic antecedents to performance including fitness, practice, emotion, team dynamics, and more. Section 2 identifies factors influencing individual performance. Section 3 discusses applied sport psychology for athletes and coaches, and section 4 includes approaches from exercise psychology on motivation and well-being. The book includes a mix of award winning researchers from the European Sport Psychology Association, along with top researchers from the U.S. to bring an international overview to sport psychology.

• Includes international contributions from Europe and the U.S.
• Encompasses theory, research, and applications
• Includes sport psychology and exercise research
• Features applied information for use with coaches, teams, and elite athletes
• Identifies performance enhancers and inhibitors

Chapter 1

European Perspective on Sport Psychology^a

Paul Wylleman^*

Roland Seiler^**
* Research Group Sport Psychology and Mental Support (SPMB), Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy and Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
^** Department II (Sport Psychology), Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

Abstract

Since its inception, the Fédération Européenne de Psychologie des Sports et des Activités Corporelles (FEPSAC) has had a strong impact on the development of sport psychology in Europe. For this chapter, we use a hermeneutical interpretation of historical documents available and complement with the experiential of both authors. The chapter aims at revealing how sport psychology has evolved during the past five decades and the role FEPSAC played in this period, sketching the situation in the present and drawing some conclusions for the challenges facing FEPSAC and sport psychology in Europe. In conclusion, some reflections on the possible future of the domain of sport psychology are formulated.

Keywords

European Federation of Sport Psychology (FEPSAC)

historical roots

politics

hermeneutical interpretation

unification

diversification

challenge

The 2015 FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology held in Bern, Switzerland, was not only the 14th quadrennial congress of its kind, it also gathered the largest number of presenters in the history of FEPSAC, including 6 keynote lectures, 81 symposia, 38 workshops, and 8 special sessions and about 400 poster presentations (14th European Congress of Sport Psychology, 2015).

Situated within a broader perspective, the attractiveness and success of the 2015 congress can be considered the pinnacle of the development FEPSAC has experienced during the past decade. More particularly, FEPSAC’s development has been characterized by, among others, the establishment of a biannual congress/conference schedule (ie, 2013 FEPSAC Conference in Paris, 2015 FEPSAC Congress in Bern, 2017 FEPSAC Conference in Nottingham, 2019 FEPSAC Congress in Münster), and by an increased international collaboration with major actors in the domains of psychology (eg, with the European Federation of Psychologists’ Associations, EFPA) and sport sciences (eg, the European College of Sport Sciences, ECSS) in Europe. In this way, FEPSAC does not only provide for a growing number of researchers, applied sport psychologists, students, and others to gain and share knowledge and expertise, but also confirms its premiere position as leading organization representing the domain of sport psychology in Europe.

The current interest in, and the significance of, the domain of sport psychology^b in Europe has, however, not always been so distinct nor always positive. In fact, it is important to remember that when the Fédération Européenne de Psychologie des Sports et des Activités Corporelles (FEPSAC) was founded in 1969, sport psychology was actually not “a desirable field” (Geron, 2003, p. 19). In order to understand sport psychology’s huge—albeit slow—development in Europe during the past 25–30 years, this chapter will in first instance look back in order to trace the roots of European sport psychology and FEPSAC. We use historical documents and all publications from FEPSAC, as well as other reports on the history of sport psychology for a hermeneutical interpretation. After looking at the different developments that have shaped the past, a second part describes the challenges both FEPSAC and sport psychology in Europe are facing. Finally, this chapter concludes with some reflections on the possible future of the domain of sport psychology.

Identifying and understanding the historical roots

In this first section, the development of sport psychology in Europe is integrated in the context of the history of the continent with its enormous cultural and political variety, while also taking into account international developments.

Development of Sport Psychology in Europe Until World War II

Historical Roots of Sport Psychology in Europe

Many international sport psychology textbooks that include a section on the development of sport psychology agree in identifying the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century as the onset of academic study in sport psychology. Interestingly, many authors locate the place of birth in North America where notably the names of Norman Triplett and Coleman Griffith are usually mentioned as key people, the latter often being considered to be the “founding father” of sport psychology (eg, Brewer & Van Raalte, 2002; Cox, Qi, & Liu, 1993; Weinberg & Gould, 2003).

This restricted view neglects that psychological questions concerning sport, physical activity, and physical education were treated widely in Europe, for example, in the tradition of Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig, as well as in France, Italy, and Hungary (Bäumler, 2002; Janssen, 2009; Kunath, 2003; Nitsch, Gabler, & Singer, 2000), resulting in a considerable number of publications between 1894 and 1900. These covered themes such as personality and character development, the relation between physical strain and mental performance in schools, pathological and psychohygenic effects of physical activity, and contributions on training and competition. However, all these contributions, though partially empirical and of high theoretical importance, were not based on experimental studies, and authors only occasionally worked in the field of sport and physical activity.

The term “sport psychology” (psychologie du sport in French) was seemingly first introduced in 1900 by Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the Olympic Games of the modern era, in an essay where he distinguished combat sports from equilibrium sports (de Coubertin, 1900). The beginning of the 20th century was characterized by a further differentiation of sport, including the foundation of many international sport federations. The need increased for scientific treatment of evolving questions in sport psychology as well. This initiated a transition from a period of pioneering work to a period of institutionalization, resulting in the first international congress on sport psychology ...