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Elsevier

Performance Psychology

Connecting Research and Application in Sports

  • 2nd Edition - February 1, 2027
  • Latest edition
  • Editors: Markus Raab, Babett Lobinger, Alexandra Pizzera, Sylvain Laborde, Florian Loffing
  • Language: English

Performance Psychology: Connecting Research and Application in Sports, Second Edition offers a comprehensive exploration of the scientific principles underpinning human perfor… Read more

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Description

Performance Psychology: Connecting Research and Application in Sports, Second Edition offers a comprehensive exploration of the scientific principles underpinning human performance in sports and high-pressure environments. This volume addresses the critical need for integrating empirical research with practical strategies to enhance performance outcomes across diverse athletic and performance domains. Building on the first edition, this second edition examines emerging technologies, such as AI and wearable devices, and expands its coverage of social justice and diversity considerations in the realm of sports psychology. The book is organized into five detailed sections. The introductory section establishes the conceptual and methodological basis of performance psychology, providing essential definitions and frameworks for understanding the field. The second section explores high-performance sport psychology, examining phenomena such as paradoxical movements, talent development, parental support, and gender-specific performance issues. The psychophysiology section explores mind-body interactions, physiological responses to stress, emotion regulation, and individual differences influencing performance. The sensorimotor expertise section investigates perceptual-motor skills, developmental perspectives, decision-making, and multisensory integration. The final section emphasizes movement dynamics, including embodied judgment, aesthetics, auditory perception, and visual perception in expert actions, integrating cutting-edge research with practical implications.

This second edition of Performance Psychology offers significant benefits to its audience by bridging the gap between research and applied practice. It provides evidence-based insights, state-of-the-art methodologies, and innovative technologies, fostering improved training, assessment, and intervention strategies. Whether used in an academic or professional setting, this volume equips readers with the knowledge necessary to advance scientific understanding and optimize human performance in sports and related fields.

Key features

  • Synthesizes multidisciplinary research in performance psychology
  • Connects theoretical foundations with practical applications
  • Highlights emerging technologies like AI and wearables
  • Incorporates diverse global perspectives for comprehensive coverage
  • Provides actionable insights for researchers and practitioners

Readership

Researchers, practitioners, and students in sport and performance psychology

Table of contents

Section A: Introduction into Performance Psychology

1. What is Performance Psychology?

2. How can research explain performance?

3. How can research assess performance?

4. How to connect research and application in sports?

Section B: Sport Psychology in High Performance

5. Paradoxical performance

6. Talent identification and development

7. Parents supporting careers

8. Female performance

Section C: Psychophysiology of Performance

9. Performance psychophysiology

10. Performing under pressure/stress

11. Perception and regulation of arousal

12. Influence of individual differences in performance

Section D: Sensorimotor expertise in performance

13. Laterality and sensorimotor expertise

14. A developmental perspective on motor-cognitive expertise in sports

15. Decision-making in sport experts

16. Multisensory integration in sensorimotor expertise

Section E: Movement Dynamics in Performance

17. From action to perceptual judging

18. Aesthetics judgement

19. Auditory action perception

20. Visual perception in expert action

Product details

  • Edition: 2
  • Latest edition
  • Published: February 1, 2027
  • Language: English

About the editors

MR

Markus Raab

Dr. Markus Raab is Head of the Institute of Psychology at the German Sport University and Head of the Performance Psychology Department. Additionally, he is Research Professor of Psychology at London South Bank University, UK. He obtained his MSc in Sport Science and PhDs in Movement Science and Cognitive Psychology. The main focus of the research programme in performance psychology is on judgement and decision making in sports, health and peak performance. He favours a simple heuristic approach and an embodied cognition approach to understanding the interaction of sensorimotor and cognitive behaviour from a psychological perspective. Dr. Raab brings more than two decades of experience to the project and co-edited the first edition of Elsevier’s Performance Psychology.
Affiliations and expertise
Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany

BL

Babett Lobinger

Dr. Babett H. Lobinger is a senior lecturer at the institute of psychology at the German Sport University Cologne. She obtained her MSc in Psychology and Movement Science and her PhD in Sport Psychology. She is a trained psychologist with interest in paradoxical performance and talent development in high performance sports. Dr. Lobinger brings 15 years of experience to the project and co-edited the first edition of Elsevier’s Performance Psychology.

Affiliations and expertise
Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany

AP

Alexandra Pizzera

Dr. Alexandra Pizzera is a sport scientist at the German Sport University Cologne. Her research interests span judgement and decision-making, visual and auditory perception, and embodied cognition of sports officials. Dr. Pizzera brings 15 years of experience to the project and co-edited to the first edition of Elsevier’s Performance Psychology.

Affiliations and expertise
Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany

SL

Sylvain Laborde

Dr. Sylvain Laborde is a senior lecturer at the German Sport University Cologne. He obtained his MSc in Psychology and Sport Science and PhDs in Psychology and Sport Science. His research focuses on heart rate variability (HRV) as a self-regulation indicator and emotional intelligence as an adaptive personality individual difference. Dr. Pizzera brings 17 years of experience to the project and co-edited to the first edition of Elsevier’s Performance Psychology.

Affiliations and expertise
Institute of Psychology, German Sport University Cologne, Cologne, Germany

FL

Florian Loffing

Dr. Florian Loffing is a senior lecturer at the German Sport University Cologne. He obtained his PhD in Sports Psychology and is a sports scientist with interest in laterality and perceptual-cognitive expertise. Dr. Loffing utilizes mixed methodological approaches including lab-based experiments, interviews, and archival studies to understand sports performance psychology. He brings 16 years of experience to the project.

Affiliations and expertise
Institute of Sports and Sports Science, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany