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Research, Sport and Exercise

Olympics Feast Special

As we enter the home straight towards the close of the 2012 Olympics, here’s a handy links round-up.

07 August 2012

By Christian Jarrett

Fancy becoming a sports psychologist? There are plenty of pointers in this video, plus lots more resources from the BPS Going For Gold sports psychology portal.

Does wearing red really boost your chances of winning in sport? Tom Stafford weighs the evidence.

Hosting a major sporting event – economic gains are unlikely, but will it bring happiness?

The Psychology of Stamina (pdf).

There’s still time to watch The Bad Boy Olympian that aired on BBC 3 (2 days left to view).

Have you started BIRGing (basking in reflected glory) yet? This article examines the psychology of competition, including how fans are affected by their team’s performance. Also, check out these psychologists reflecting on what the Games mean to them, and this article on what sports psychology has done for the mainstream discipline.

Using Twitter to monitor real-time emotional responses to the Games.

It’s a run of three hits or wins that particularly makes us think a person or team is on song.

We think about psychological momentum in sport in terms of the laws of physics.

Why Bronze medallists are usually happier than Silver.

Why don’t we watch more women’s sports?

From the Psychologist magazine archive – Dave Collins, Performance Director at UK Athletics, on how he will be putting his background in psychology to use in pursuit of medals in Beijing.

Matthew Syed investigates the psychology of the home advantage (radio show available to listen again on iPlayer).

Olympic athletes reveal their mental strategies.

How do women and girls feel when they see sexualised or sporty images of female athletes? (and check this – what if every sport were photographed like women’s beach volleyball?)

Is it wrong to, ahem, admire the bodies of the athletes? asks Zoe Williams.

Winning Gold – comparing media coverage in the US and Japan (during the Sydney and Salt Lake City games).

An interview with Steve Peters – “sports psychiatrist” to the all-conquering Team GB cycling team.

Swifter, higher, stronger: The history of sport psychology.