Sport Psychology

Book excerpt: This book offers a student-friendly introduction to the discipline of sport psychology. All the key psychological issues in sport are explored, and difficult questions are raised: are athletes born or made? Does playing sport affect personality? What effect do cultural beliefs have on personal sporting development? Matt Jarvis has substantially revised and expanded his original coverage of the subject from the highly successful first edition (Sport Psychology (1999) in the Routledge Modular Psychology series). Here he provides a succinct but comprehensive account of major theory and research in sport psychology, whilst maintaining the readable style and student-centred approach which made the previous book so successful. Key issues covered include: Personality and sport Attitudes to sport Aggression Social factors affecting performance Arousal and anxiety Motivation and skill acquisition. There is an emphasis not merely on learning about sport psychology, but also on developing critical and creative thinking. In addition, the book includes chapters on conducting research and writing essays in sport psychology, as well as reflective exercises throughout the text.