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Sports 2012

The psychology of the penalty shootout
Researchers have argued that penalty shootouts in competitions such as the World Cup are ultimately "psychological" games.
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Practice doesn't make perfect but it helps
Practising at a particular discipline or activity often helps to improve competence, a new study has concluded.
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The Commonwealth Games and the importance of spectacle
With the Commonwealth Games under way in Glasgow, psychologists can help explain just what it is that the public finds enticing about big sporting events.
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A goalkeeper in red is more likely to save a penalty kick
The final stages of big football tournaments are often dominated by penalty shootouts. And research presented at our Annual Conference a few years ago may just have given the key to success in them.
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Examining the cycle-ology of the Tour de France
Just before the triumph that was the Grand Depart in Yorkshire, our monthly magazine The Psychologist investigated how psychology touches the participants, spectators and volunteers in the Tour de France:
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10,000 hours does not guarantee greatness
Swedish psychologist K.
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Public event in York on Le Tour, 1 July
As Yorkshire awaits the start of the Tour de France, a psychologist is to give a public talk on the psychology behind the event in York on Tuesday 1 July.
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Your coach’s reputation may be the key to World Cup success
The reputation of a coach can be pivotal when it comes to getting the best out of footballers. This is conclusion of research by a team led by Dr Andrew Manley from Leeds Metropolitan University. Their findings are published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports.
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Mental toughness makes top footballers
With the World Cup in full swing, many youngsters will no doubt be wondering how they too can one day join their country's team and play for glory - and it turns out that mental toughness could be key to making their dreams come true.
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How rituals and religion help footballers cope with pressure
Superstitions can help footballers control their anxiety before a game. That was the conclusion of research presented at the British Psychology Society Annual Conference in 2012.
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Looking into the mind of a cricketer
Chartered Psychologist Dr Jamie Barker from Staffordshire University will be speaking on the psychology of cricket at the Cheltenham Science Festival next week. He will be taking part in a session that also features the journalist and former England batsman Ed Smith.
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Female psychologists preferred in sport
Sportsmen and women may respond better to female psychologists than they do to male practitioners, new research has suggested. Leeds Metropolitan University's Rebecca Mitchell carried out a study that is set to be presented at the
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Athletes’ fear of failure can lead to choking
Anxiety about a competitive situation makes even the most physically active more likely to slip-up suggests a study presented today at the British Psychological Society annual conference in Birmingham.
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Health psychology and sport psychology on the radio
The fourth broadcast in the Psychology FM series, which looks at health psychology and sport and exercise psychology, will go out at 11am on Wednesday 19 March.
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Psychology could help in penalty shootouts
England does not have a great track record when it comes to penalty shootouts and the team's manager Roy Hodgson has suggested that an expert in psychology may be the answer to reversing the trend.
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How body language gives away the score
In a bruising encounter with an aggressor, signalling "I give up!" via your submissive body language can be a life saver. At least that's the case for our primate cousins, and likely too for our human ancestors.
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Family support at the Winter Olympics
BPS member Misha Botting is in Sochi working with the Great Britain curling team. He has been talking to us about the importance to competitors of the right kind of family support:
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How football can help its fans lose weight
A diet and exercise plan based around football and other sports could help fans to lose weight and live a healthier lifestyle, a study has discove
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How will Winter Olympic athletes cope with the limelight?
The Winter Olympics are starting in Sochi today. The Games will see media coverage of sports that usually get little notice and, if UK athletes are doing well, they will attract great interest from the public too.
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Town planners must include green spaces
Planners should take more care to ensure they incorporate quality green spaces in their town and city layouts in order to encourage residents to take more exercise.
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The work benefits of more active holidays
A relaxing holiday may be a lovely prospect, but people who fill their breaks with activities are likely to find it easier to fit back into their working life afterwards.
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Paper planning aids football performance
Research being presented this week at the British Psychological Society Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology annual conference in Manchester suggests that paper based planning can enhance footballers match performance and reduce pre-match a
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Whistleblowing stance differs across sports
Differences exist in the willingness of athletes to report drug-cheats across different sports suggests a study presented today at the British Psychological Society Division of Sport & Exercise (DSEP) Conference in Manchester.
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Home advantage not affected by weather
Temperature, sunshine and rainfall are not responsible for home field advantage in English football according to a study being presented today at the British Psychological Society Division of Sport & Exercise Psychology Conference in Mancheste
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Supportive texts help keep you exercising
Supportive regular text messages can help people who have just started exercising to stay motivated.
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