Pub Date : 2025-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102959
Catherine M. Sabiston , Ivanka Prichard , Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani
This paper presents 25 key considerations for advancing research and practice on body image within sport and exercise psychology. Drawing from foundational work and emerging trends, we identify five core areas for progress: conceptualization, measurement, theory, intervention, and policy. First, clarity of key concepts is emphasized, particularly in distinguishing body image from related constructs such as eating disorders, and in advancing our understanding of identity and intersectionality. Second, measurement considerations call for refining self-report tools, embracing diverse methodologies, and aligning study designs with cultural relevance and lived experience. Third, we trace the evolution of theoretical approaches that have been applied to understand the relationship between sport/exercise (dis)engagement and body image and introduce a novel dual-pathways framework to guide future research in sport and exercise contexts. Fourth, in terms of intervention, we highlight the need to develop and evaluate body image programs for athletes and sport leaders, promote movement for positive body image outcomes, and harness digital and media literacy strategies. Finally, we outline policy directions to foster positive body image environments and protect against harm in sport and exercise settings. This paper aims to serve as a roadmap for future work that is inclusive, innovative, and impactful.
{"title":"Reflections and projections: 25 considerations for body image research in sport and exercise psychology","authors":"Catherine M. Sabiston , Ivanka Prichard , Cecilie Thøgersen-Ntoumani","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102959","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102959","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents 25 key considerations for advancing research and practice on body image within sport and exercise psychology. Drawing from foundational work and emerging trends, we identify five core areas for progress: conceptualization, measurement, theory, intervention, and policy. First, clarity of key concepts is emphasized, particularly in distinguishing body image from related constructs such as eating disorders, and in advancing our understanding of identity and intersectionality. Second, measurement considerations call for refining self-report tools, embracing diverse methodologies, and aligning study designs with cultural relevance and lived experience. Third, we trace the evolution of theoretical approaches that have been applied to understand the relationship between sport/exercise (dis)engagement and body image and introduce a novel dual-pathways framework to guide future research in sport and exercise contexts. Fourth, in terms of intervention, we highlight the need to develop and evaluate body image programs for athletes and sport leaders, promote movement for positive body image outcomes, and harness digital and media literacy strategies. Finally, we outline policy directions to foster positive body image environments and protect against harm in sport and exercise settings. This paper aims to serve as a roadmap for future work that is inclusive, innovative, and impactful.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102959"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144719301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102958
Brett Smith , Martin Roderick , Hester Hockin-Boyers , Javier Monforte , Toni Louise Williams , Patrick Jachyra , Caroline Dodd-Reynolds , Cassandra Phoenix
Qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology has grown over the last 25 years. The number of papers published in journals like Psychology of Sport and Exercise has increased. There has also been growth in terms of the variety and sophistication of work published. Such growth suggests qualitative research is in a good place. It is and it isn't. This paper aims to advance qualitative research and be a resource to guide future practice. It first celebrates qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology by offering examples of the positive qualities of work being done. The paper then highlights some problems by attending to the tokenistic engagement with epistemology and ontology plus some associated fallacies. Some thoughts about how qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology might develop are next offered. To help support the ongoing development of qualitative research we attend to interviewing, story completion, analysis, computer-assisted software, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital methods. The paper also provides a note on physical activity guidelines, qualitative research, and policy-making. It closes by reaffirming the need to approach qualitative research as a slow craft that involves people (not AI) making tough, well-thought-out ethical, theoretical, and methodological decisions.
{"title":"25 years of qualitative research in sport and exercise Psychology: How did it Go? and what now?","authors":"Brett Smith , Martin Roderick , Hester Hockin-Boyers , Javier Monforte , Toni Louise Williams , Patrick Jachyra , Caroline Dodd-Reynolds , Cassandra Phoenix","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102958","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102958","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology has grown over the last 25 years. The number of papers published in journals like <em>Psychology of Sport and Exercise</em> has increased. There has also been growth in terms of the variety and sophistication of work published. Such growth suggests qualitative research is in a good place. It is <em>and</em> it isn't. This paper aims to advance qualitative research and be a resource to guide future practice. It first celebrates qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology by offering examples of the positive qualities of work being done. The paper then highlights some problems by attending to the tokenistic engagement with epistemology and ontology plus some associated fallacies. Some thoughts about how qualitative research in sport and exercise psychology might develop are next offered. To help support the ongoing development of qualitative research we attend to interviewing, story completion, analysis, computer-assisted software, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital methods. The paper also provides a note on physical activity guidelines, qualitative research, and policy-making. It closes by reaffirming the need to approach qualitative research as a slow craft that involves people (not AI) making tough, well-thought-out ethical, theoretical, and methodological decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102958"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144711904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-18DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102953
Juriena D. de Vries , Yuri S. Scharp , Arnold B. Bakker
Sport engagement is essential for athletes' performance and long-term commitment. Drawing on self-regulation and play literature, we propose that athletes can proactively enhance their sport engagement and, indirectly, performance (i.e., goal progression) by enacting Playful Sport Design (PSD). PSD involves proactively adding play elements to training by “designing fun” (DF; incorporating creativity, humor, and fantasy) and “designing competition” (DC; fostering self-imposed challenges, keeping score, and driving self-improvement). Additionally, we explored how PSD's effectiveness varies across different sports settings: solitary versus group training and coached versus non-coached sessions. To investigate this, athletes who trained at least twice a week participated in a four-week weekly diary study using reconstruction methodology (N = 99 individuals, n = 616 sport activities). The sample consisted mostly of amateur athletes (88 %), with an average age of 28.4 years (65 % women, 35 % men). Strength sports was the most common sport (33 %), followed by fitness (19.2 %), athletics (16.2 %), and ball sports (7.1 %). On average, they trained 3.7 times per week and had 14.2 years of experience. Supporting our hypotheses, multilevel regression analyses revealed that DF and DC both enhanced goal progression through increased engagement. Notably, DF was more effective in group settings than in solitary sessions, whereas DC was more effective in either the presence of a coach (vs. no coach) or in solitary settings (vs. group settings). The findings demonstrate that athletes can initiate play to drive their own engagement and goal progression, as well as highlight the sports environments in which this behavior is most effective.
{"title":"Playful sport design and sport engagement: A diary study among amateur athletes","authors":"Juriena D. de Vries , Yuri S. Scharp , Arnold B. Bakker","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102953","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102953","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sport engagement is essential for athletes' performance and long-term commitment. Drawing on self-regulation and play literature, we propose that athletes can proactively enhance their sport engagement and, indirectly, performance (i.e., goal progression) by enacting Playful Sport Design (PSD). PSD involves proactively adding play elements to training by “designing fun” (DF; incorporating creativity, humor, and fantasy) and “designing competition” (DC; fostering self-imposed challenges, keeping score, and driving self-improvement). Additionally, we explored how PSD's effectiveness varies across different sports settings: solitary versus group training and coached versus non-coached sessions. To investigate this, athletes who trained at least twice a week participated in a four-week weekly diary study using reconstruction methodology (<em>N</em> = 99 individuals, <em>n</em> = 616 sport activities). The sample consisted mostly of amateur athletes (88 %), with an average age of 28.4 years (65 % women, 35 % men). Strength sports was the most common sport (33 %), followed by fitness (19.2 %), athletics (16.2 %), and ball sports (7.1 %). On average, they trained 3.7 times per week and had 14.2 years of experience. Supporting our hypotheses, multilevel regression analyses revealed that DF and DC both enhanced goal progression through increased engagement. Notably, DF was more effective in group settings than in solitary sessions, whereas DC was more effective in either the presence of a coach (vs. no coach) or in solitary settings (vs. group settings). The findings demonstrate that athletes can initiate play to drive their own engagement and goal progression, as well as highlight the sports environments in which this behavior is most effective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102953"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144677097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-18DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102954
Luca Bovolon , Antonio De Fano , Gianluca Di Pinto , Salvatore A. Rosito , Camilla Scaramuzza , Emeline Tanet , Maurizio Bertollo
Optimizing sport performance demands a nuanced understanding of the dynamic interaction between the person, the task, and the environment. Within the framework of the Multi-States theory, the integration of brain-body data informs emotion- and action-centered self-regulatory strategies by uncovering the psychophysiological dynamics that characterize proficient information processing and superior performance effectiveness. This theoretical and practical approach offers the opportunity to track athletes’ performance states and implement real-time adjustments, while it could also support the development of interventions and training regiments that are individualized and task-specific. We also argue how brain-body-behavior technologies could be combined within virtual mixed or augmented environments to support the transfer of perceptual-cognitive-motor skills from lab-based interventions into real-world performance outcomes. We argue that such measures offer unique, objective windows into performance states and self-regulation skills, particularly in ecologically valid settings. We further discuss current trends and challenges that surround the use of technology in performance optimization interventions within the field of sport psychology, and we propose that future augmented technologies should strive to develop AI-driven brain-body-behavior data analytics to combine objective pattern recognition with subjective experiential insight, urging the next generation of sport psychologists to shift from reactive to proactive approaches to performance optimization to better align current applied practices with the complex dynamics of sport performance. Finally, we argue that research lines investigating team dynamics and e-sport performance are especially well-positioned to benefit from this integrative approach.
{"title":"Integrating brain-body-behavior data for performance optimization: Augmented technologies for the next generation of sport psychologists","authors":"Luca Bovolon , Antonio De Fano , Gianluca Di Pinto , Salvatore A. Rosito , Camilla Scaramuzza , Emeline Tanet , Maurizio Bertollo","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102954","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102954","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Optimizing sport performance demands a nuanced understanding of the dynamic interaction between the person, the task, and the environment. Within the framework of the Multi-States theory, the integration of brain-body data informs emotion- and action-centered self-regulatory strategies by uncovering the psychophysiological dynamics that characterize proficient information processing and superior performance effectiveness. This theoretical and practical approach offers the opportunity to track athletes’ performance states and implement real-time adjustments, while it could also support the development of interventions and training regiments that are individualized and task-specific. We also argue how brain-body-behavior technologies could be combined within virtual mixed or augmented environments to support the transfer of perceptual-cognitive-motor skills from lab-based interventions into real-world performance outcomes. We argue that such measures offer unique, objective windows into performance states and self-regulation skills, particularly in ecologically valid settings. We further discuss current trends and challenges that surround the use of technology in performance optimization interventions within the field of sport psychology, and we propose that future augmented technologies should strive to develop AI-driven brain-body-behavior data analytics to combine objective pattern recognition with subjective experiential insight, urging the next generation of sport psychologists to shift from reactive to proactive approaches to performance optimization to better align current applied practices with the complex dynamics of sport performance. Finally, we argue that research lines investigating team dynamics and e-sport performance are especially well-positioned to benefit from this integrative approach.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102954"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144670838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-17DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102943
Erin Reddington, Stacy Winter
Elite sporting careers are made up of a succession of transitions and adjustments across multiple layers. Part of the microenvironment is an athlete's romantic partner who moves through the transitions alongside them, being impacted along the way. Though researchers are yet to explore jockeys and their partners experiences within the horse racing context. Framed through the transition environment working model (Henriksen et al., 2024) and supported by the family systems theory (Broderick, 1993), this study aimed to explore the career experiences and retirement transition of a retired Champion jockey as perceived by him and his female partner. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, four semi-structured interviews were conducted with the two participants, Richard and Lizzie Hughes (M age = 46.5, SD = 2.1) who consented to their identities being disclosed. Three themes were constructed: “It was all worth it”; “You can't have the good times without the bad”; and “It's been a journey but one I clearly wouldn't change”. Findings of this study highlighted the influence of the micro-level environment in shaping transition experiences, which ultimately impacted the partner too. Secondly, addiction and obsessive passion were found throughout transition experiences. Thirdly, despite being normative the retirement transition process presented emotional and physical challenges across jockey and partner. In all, the study provided a novel insight of the experiences and perceptions of both jockey and partner. Further research attention and applied support avenues for both parties are warranted, since their experiences are closely intertwined.
精英的运动生涯是由多层次的一系列过渡和调整组成的。微环境的一部分是运动员的浪漫伴侣,他和他们一起经历过渡,一路上受到影响。尽管研究人员还没有在赛马的背景下探索骑师和他们的伴侣的经历。本研究以过渡环境工作模型(Henriksen et al., 2024)为框架,以家庭系统理论(Broderick, 1993)为支撑,旨在探讨一名退役冠军骑师及其女性伴侣对职业经历和退休过渡的感知。采用解释性现象学分析,对两位参与者Richard和Lizzie Hughes (M年龄= 46.5,SD = 2.1)进行了四次半结构化访谈,他们同意披露自己的身份。他们构建了三个主题:“一切都是值得的”;“没有坏时光就没有好时光”;“这是一段旅程,但我显然不会改变”。这项研究的结果强调了微观层面的环境在塑造过渡体验方面的影响,最终也影响了伴侣。其次,成瘾和强迫性激情是在整个过渡经历中发现的。第三,尽管退休过渡过程是规范的,但骑师和合伙人在情感和身体上都存在挑战。总之,这项研究提供了一个关于骑师和搭档的经验和看法的新见解。由于双方的经历紧密地交织在一起,因此有必要对双方进行进一步的研究、关注和应用支持途径。
{"title":"Lady and the champ: The shared career experiences and retirement transition of a champion jockey and his partner","authors":"Erin Reddington, Stacy Winter","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102943","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102943","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elite sporting careers are made up of a succession of transitions and adjustments across multiple layers. Part of the microenvironment is an athlete's romantic partner who moves through the transitions alongside them, being impacted along the way. Though researchers are yet to explore jockeys and their partners experiences within the horse racing context. Framed through the transition environment working model (Henriksen et al., 2024) and supported by the family systems theory (Broderick, 1993), this study aimed to explore the career experiences and retirement transition of a retired Champion jockey as perceived by him and his female partner. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, four semi-structured interviews were conducted with the two participants, Richard and Lizzie Hughes (<em>M</em> age = 46.5, <em>SD</em> = 2.1) who consented to their identities being disclosed. Three themes were constructed: “It was all worth it”; “You can't have the good times without the bad”; and “It's been a journey but one I clearly wouldn't change”. Findings of this study highlighted the influence of the micro-level environment in shaping transition experiences, which ultimately impacted the partner too. Secondly, addiction and obsessive passion were found throughout transition experiences. Thirdly, despite being normative the retirement transition process presented emotional and physical challenges across jockey and partner. In all, the study provided a novel insight of the experiences and perceptions of both jockey and partner. Further research attention and applied support avenues for both parties are warranted, since their experiences are closely intertwined.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102943"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144665761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-17DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102952
Daniel J.M. Fleming , Andrew P. Hill , Luke F. Olsson , Sarah H. Mallinson-Howard , Travis E. Dorsch
Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality characteristic comprised of two higher-order factors termed perfectionistic strivings (PS) and perfectionistic concerns (PC). Research has typically found perfectionistic strivings to be related to better sport performance, while concerns are usually unrelated. However, many of the tests of this relationship use non-athletes, contrived tasks, and one-off performances, and have also focused on the separate, rather than interactive, effects of PS and PC. The present study was designed to address these limitations by testing the interactive effect of indicators of PS and PC in predicting performance across two rounds of competitive golf. Eighty-nine male golf athletes (Mage = 28.42 years, SD = 11.87) completed measures of perfectionism and then competed in a regional golf competition. Their cumulative score, relative to par, across two rounds determined their performance. Hierarchical linear modelling, nesting performances within individuals, holes, and rounds, showed a significant three-way interaction between self-oriented performance perfectionism (indicator of PS), socially prescribed performance perfectionism (indicator of PC), and round (b = 0.36, SE = 0.17, p = .039). At low levels of socially prescribed performance perfectionism, self-oriented performance perfectionism predicted improved performance; however, at high levels of socially prescribed performance perfectionism, self-oriented performance perfectionism predicted poorer performance. Findings highlight the importance of assessing the relationship between perfectionism and sport performance in real-world competitive contexts over time, while accounting for the interplay between indicators of PS and PC.
完美主义是一种多维度的人格特征,由两个高阶因素组成,即完美主义的追求(PS)和完美主义的关注(PC)。研究通常发现,完美主义的努力与更好的运动表现有关,而担忧通常无关。然而,这种关系的许多测试使用的是非运动员、人为的任务和一次性的表现,并且还侧重于PS和PC的单独影响,而不是交互影响。本研究旨在通过测试PS和PC指标在预测两轮高尔夫竞技表现中的交互作用来解决这些局限性。89名男性高尔夫运动员(年龄28.42岁,SD = 11.87)完成了完美主义测试,然后参加了地区高尔夫比赛。他们在两轮比赛中相对于标准杆的累积得分决定了他们的表现。分层线性模型、个体内嵌套、洞内嵌套、圆内嵌套表现表明,自我导向型绩效完美主义(PS指标)、社会规定型绩效完美主义(PC指标)和圆之间存在显著的三向交互作用(b = 0.36, SE = 0.17, p = 0.039)。在低水平的社会规定型绩效完美主义中,自我导向型绩效完美主义预测了绩效的提高;然而,在高水平的社会规定型绩效完美主义中,自我导向型绩效完美主义预示着较差的绩效。研究结果强调了在现实世界的竞争环境中评估完美主义与运动表现之间关系的重要性,同时考虑了PS和PC指标之间的相互作用。
{"title":"Interactive effects of perfectionism on competitive golf performance: A multi-level analysis","authors":"Daniel J.M. Fleming , Andrew P. Hill , Luke F. Olsson , Sarah H. Mallinson-Howard , Travis E. Dorsch","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102952","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102952","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Perfectionism is a multidimensional personality characteristic comprised of two higher-order factors termed perfectionistic strivings (PS) and perfectionistic concerns (PC). Research has typically found perfectionistic strivings to be related to better sport performance, while concerns are usually unrelated. However, many of the tests of this relationship use non-athletes, contrived tasks, and one-off performances, and have also focused on the separate, rather than interactive, effects of PS and PC. The present study was designed to address these limitations by testing the interactive effect of indicators of PS and PC in predicting performance across two rounds of competitive golf. Eighty-nine male golf athletes (<em>M</em><sub><em>age</em></sub> = 28.42 years, <em>SD</em> = 11.87) completed measures of perfectionism and then competed in a regional golf competition. Their cumulative score, relative to par, across two rounds determined their performance. Hierarchical linear modelling, nesting performances within individuals, holes, and rounds, showed a significant three-way interaction between self-oriented performance perfectionism (indicator of PS), socially prescribed performance perfectionism (indicator of PC), and round (<em>b</em> = 0.36, <em>SE</em> = 0.17, <em>p</em> = .039). At low levels of socially prescribed performance perfectionism, self-oriented performance perfectionism predicted improved performance; however, at high levels of socially prescribed performance perfectionism, self-oriented performance perfectionism predicted poorer performance. Findings highlight the importance of assessing the relationship between perfectionism and sport performance in real-world competitive contexts over time, while accounting for the interplay between indicators of PS and PC.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102952"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144669150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A growing appreciation of trauma and its implications on the health of those affected has led to the adoption of trauma-informed principles across different sectors where service providers interact with those who have experienced trauma. Those in the physical activity sector have begun to incorporate trauma-informed principles into programme design and delivery. However, there remains no consensus on how trauma-informed principles are operationalised and implemented within a physical activity context. The present study aims to explore what it means to be trauma-informed in physical activity, identifying the principles essential for physical activity programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants (10 female, 7 male) from organisations facilitating and delivering trauma-informed physical activity programmes. A critical realist-informed approach to thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Four themes were developed: (i) approaching with considerate curiosity, (ii) boundaries and scope of practice, (iii) the importance of shared lived experience, and (iv) meeting people where they are. These themes highlight principles that must be present in trauma-informed physical activity, such as physical activity providers understanding their limits of practice and referring to other services when these limits are met. They also outline the importance of understanding and empathy in trauma-informed physical activity. For trauma-informed physical activity programmes to be effective, these principles must be consistent across the programmes’ design and delivery. This study progresses understanding of trauma-informed principles and offers professionals in the physical activity sector insights of how they can ensure their programmes are appropriate for those who have experienced trauma.
{"title":"Understanding trauma-informed physical activity in practice: A qualitative exploration","authors":"Akusile Makawa , Emily Baldwin , Gemma Witcomb , Hayley Jarvis , Florence Kinnafick","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102942","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102942","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A growing appreciation of trauma and its implications on the health of those affected has led to the adoption of trauma-informed principles across different sectors where service providers interact with those who have experienced trauma. Those in the physical activity sector have begun to incorporate trauma-informed principles into programme design and delivery. However, there remains no consensus on how trauma-informed principles are operationalised and implemented within a physical activity context. The present study aims to explore what it means to be trauma-informed in physical activity, identifying the principles essential for physical activity programmes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 participants (10 female, 7 male) from organisations facilitating and delivering trauma-informed physical activity programmes. A critical realist-informed approach to thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Four themes were developed: (i) approaching with considerate curiosity, (ii) boundaries and scope of practice, (iii) the importance of shared lived experience, and (iv) meeting people where they are. These themes highlight principles that must be present in trauma-informed physical activity, such as physical activity providers understanding their limits of practice and referring to other services when these limits are met. They also outline the importance of understanding and empathy in trauma-informed physical activity. For trauma-informed physical activity programmes to be effective, these principles must be consistent across the programmes’ design and delivery. This study progresses understanding of trauma-informed principles and offers professionals in the physical activity sector insights of how they can ensure their programmes are appropriate for those who have experienced trauma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102942"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144661481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-14DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102941
Harry Garretsen, Janka I. Stoker, Rob Alessie
Decision-making in high-pressure environments is a complex process influenced by individual characteristics and hierarchical dynamics. In football, the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was intended to improve decision accuracy. However, VAR decisions involve human judgment and interaction between the VAR and the on-field referee. This study analyzes all VAR interventions (N = 515) in the Dutch top football league (2019–2021), examining how age, experience, and status asymmetries between referees influence decision-making. Results show that younger, less experienced, and lower-ranked VARs recommend more interventions and are more likely to have their advice disregarded. Status-authority asymmetry particularly affects subjective calls requiring on-field reviews (ORF). Findings highlight that officiating decisions are shaped by cognitive and social factors, contributing to research on decision-making under uncertainty. The findings contribute not only to sports science, but also more generally to the literature on decision-making by professionals.
{"title":"Who rules in times of the Video Assistant Referee? On referees’ decision making in football","authors":"Harry Garretsen, Janka I. Stoker, Rob Alessie","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102941","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Decision-making in high-pressure environments is a complex process influenced by individual characteristics and hierarchical dynamics. In football, the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) was intended to improve decision accuracy. However, VAR decisions involve human judgment and interaction between the VAR and the on-field referee. This study analyzes all VAR interventions (N = 515) in the Dutch top football league (2019–2021), examining how age, experience, and status asymmetries between referees influence decision-making. Results show that younger, less experienced, and lower-ranked VARs recommend more interventions and are more likely to have their advice disregarded. Status-authority asymmetry particularly affects subjective calls requiring on-field reviews (ORF). Findings highlight that officiating decisions are shaped by cognitive and social factors, contributing to research on decision-making under uncertainty. The findings contribute not only to sports science, but also more generally to the literature on decision-making by professionals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102941"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144651677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-11DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102939
Michał Remiszewski , Gabriela Rajtar , Zuzanna Komarek , Tomasz Pałka , Marcin Maciejczyk , Tomasz S. Ligeza
Physical exercise offers many health benefits, with substantial evidence supporting its positive impact on affective symptoms. An intriguing yet underexplored mechanism associated with this effect is the enhancement of interoception—the ability to perceive internal bodily sensations. We investigated the effects of long-term aerobic exercise on interoceptive accuracy (IAcc), interoceptive confidence (ICon) and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Physically inactive young adult participants were randomly assigned to either an Experimental (n = 32) or a passive Control group (n = 30). The Experimental group completed a 12-week cycling ergometer program, with the first 6 weeks consisting of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) followed by 6 weeks of moderate to high-intensity interval training (MIIT). IAcc and ICon was assessed through a heartbeat counting task, while symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated using self-reported questionnaires at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks of intervention. The results showed a significant improvement in IAcc, ICon and affective symptoms in the Experimental group after 6 weeks of MICT compared to baseline. However, the transition to MIIT did not produce further gains. No beneficial changes in IAcc, ICon or affective symptoms were observed in the passive Control group throughout the intervention. The study highlights exercise's potential to improve interoception in physically inactive young adults and to enhance emotional well-being by improving affective symptoms. Given the increasing physical inactivity among healthy individuals, our findings may contribute to preventing the adverse consequences of such a lifestyle.
{"title":"Long-term aerobic exercise enhances interoception and reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety in physically inactive young adults: A randomized controlled trial","authors":"Michał Remiszewski , Gabriela Rajtar , Zuzanna Komarek , Tomasz Pałka , Marcin Maciejczyk , Tomasz S. Ligeza","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102939","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102939","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Physical exercise offers many health benefits, with substantial evidence supporting its positive impact on affective symptoms. An intriguing yet underexplored mechanism associated with this effect is the enhancement of interoception—the ability to perceive internal bodily sensations. We investigated the effects of long-term aerobic exercise on interoceptive accuracy (IAcc), interoceptive confidence (ICon) and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Physically inactive young adult participants were randomly assigned to either an Experimental (n = 32) or a passive Control group (n = 30). The Experimental group completed a 12-week cycling ergometer program, with the first 6 weeks consisting of moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) followed by 6 weeks of moderate to high-intensity interval training (MIIT). IAcc and ICon was assessed through a heartbeat counting task, while symptoms of depression and anxiety were evaluated using self-reported questionnaires at baseline and after 6 and 12 weeks of intervention. The results showed a significant improvement in IAcc, ICon and affective symptoms in the Experimental group after 6 weeks of MICT compared to baseline. However, the transition to MIIT did not produce further gains. No beneficial changes in IAcc, ICon or affective symptoms were observed in the passive Control group throughout the intervention. The study highlights exercise's potential to improve interoception in physically inactive young adults and to enhance emotional well-being by improving affective symptoms. Given the increasing physical inactivity among healthy individuals, our findings may contribute to preventing the adverse consequences of such a lifestyle.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"81 ","pages":"Article 102939"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144621580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-10DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102934
Rita de Oliveira, Yago Ramis
{"title":"FEPSAC Newsletter","authors":"Rita de Oliveira, Yago Ramis","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102934","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102934","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102934"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144687206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}