A Critical Introduction to Sport Psychology

"Full of quotes and insight, this wide ranging, in depth, up-to-date introduction to sport psychology covers topics in emotional coping, team cohesion, motivation, expertise and more. Academics and students alike will enjoy the read, as did I. Moran and Toner (3rd edition) is definitely recommended reading." - Rich Masters, Professor of Human Performance Psychology, The University of Waikato, New Zealand "This third edition is the most modern and engaging sport psychology textbook in the field. Contemporary, provocative, informative and accessible, the chapters provide a comprehensive overview of this rapidly developing field while the various pedagogical features are a boon for understanding . . .This is an important book in sport psychology which provides outstanding quality and clarity in both the applied and research areas." - Shane M. Murphy, Professor and Chair of Psychology, Western Connecticut State University, USA

Aidan Moran is Professor of Cognitive Psychology and Director of the Psychology Research Laboratory in University College Dublin, Ireland. A Fulbright Scholar, he has written sixteen books and many scientific papers on cognitive processes such as mental imagery and attention (including eye-tracking) in athletes. He is the Founding Editor-in-Chief of the International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, has advised many of Ireland's leading professional athletes and teams and is a former psychologist to the Irish Olympic Squad. John Toner is a lecturer in sports coaching and performance in the Department of Sport, Health, and Exercise Science at the University of Hull, UK. His research and teaching interests include skill acquisition, expertise in sports performance and pedagogy in sports coaching.

Preface Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Introducing sport psychology: discipline and profession Part 1: Exploring athletic performance: key constructs 2. Motivation and goal-setting in sport 3. "Psyching up" and calming down: anxiety in sport 4. Emotions and coping 5. Staying focused in sport: concentration in sport performers 6. Using imagination in sport: mental imagery, motor imagery and mental practice in athletes 7. What lies beneath the surface? Investigating expertise in sport Part 2: Team cohesion 8. Exploring team cohesion in sport: a critical perspective Part 3: New directions in sport psychology 9. New horizons: embodied cognition and cultural sport psychology Glossary References Author index Subject index