Although sport is played with the body, it is won in
the mind. Inspired by this idea, the second edition of
this popular textbook provides a comprehensive critical
introduction to sport and exercise psychology - a
discipline that is concerned with the theory and
practice of helping athletes to do their best when it
matters the most. The book is organized into four
sections. Part one investigates the nature, foundations
and current status of the discipline. Part two reviews
the latest research findings on motivation, anxiety,
concentration, mental imagery and expertise in athletes.
Part three examines group processes and team dynamics.
Finally, part four explores exercise behaviour and the
psychology of injury rehabilitation. Each chapter
contains specially designed critical thinking exercises
to encourage the student to explore the deeper issues,
and also features an invaluable list of suggestions for
independent research projects by students.The text has
been extensively re-written and updated with new
material to take account of hot topics such as
neuroscience and motor imagery, as well as issues such
as 'grunting' in tennis, the psychology of penalty
shootouts, mindfulness training as a concentration
technique, the effects of music on physical activity,
and 'exer-gaming' - the use of computer games to
increase physical activity and exercise. Written in a
lively, accessible style, the book is brimful of vivid
contemporary examples and insights from the world's
leading athletes, to provide a compelling bridge between
theory and practice for undergraduate and postgraduate
students of sport psychology, health psychology, sport
science, physical education, kinesiology and leisure
management. Instructors who adopt the book will be able
to access a wealth of online teaching resources. |
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