History of Sport and Performance Psychology

Abstract

Abstract This chapter presents an overview of the history of sport and performance psychology. First, the chapter will highlight the beginnings of sport psychology in the 1890s, when psychology was first applied to sport in laboratory settings. The applications of the “new psychology” applied to sport and the first sport psychology congress held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1913, are described. The chapter describes how psychologists began testing athletes in psychology laboratories using experimental psychology methods during 1920–1940. The development of sport psychology laboratories worldwide and the work of Coleman Griffith are highlighted. Next, the chapter explains the beginnings of the use of psychology for performance enhancement purposes between 1940 and 1965. The growth of sport psychology literature during this time is discussed. The chapter then focuses on sport and performance psychology from 1965 to 1980, including the development of sport psychology organizations. The chapter concludes by providing an overview of sport and performance psychology from 1980 to today. The modern period is characterized by an increasing application of sport and performance psychology knowledge across a variety of performance domains.

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