Psychology of Sport and Exercise

Top Research Topics at Psychology of Sport and Exercise?

The main research concerns discussed in the journal are Social psychology, Athletes, Developmental psychology, Applied psychology and Clinical psychology. The journal addresses concerns in Social psychology which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Structural equation modeling, Perception and Self-determination theory. The studies in Athletes featured incorporate elements of Identity (social science), Elite, Coaching, Perfectionism (psychology) and Social support.

The studies on Developmental psychology discussed can also contribute to research in the domains of Test (assessment), Cognition and Competence (human resources). Many of the studies tackled connect Cognition with a similar field of study like Cognitive psychology. The concepts on Clinical psychology presented in it can also apply to other research fields, including Psychological intervention, Mental health, Intervention (counseling) and Anxiety.

• Social psychology (39.06%)
• Athletes (27.04%)
• Developmental psychology (24.59%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

• Toward a comprehensive model of physical activity (489 citations)
• The ecological dynamics of decision making in sport (477 citations)
• Acute Affective Response to a Moderate-intensity Exercise Stimulus Predicts Physical Activity Participation 6 and 12 Months Later. (421 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Psychology of Sport and Exercise:

The published articles investigate areas of study like Social psychology, Developmental psychology, Athletes, Sport psychology and Applied psychology. The journal papers are focused mainly on Social psychology, particularly Competence (human resources). The journal articles investigate Developmental psychology in the context of the closely related subject of areas like

• Cognition that intertwine with fields like Cognitive psychology,
• Psychological intervention which intersects with area such as Intervention (counseling)..

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

• Social psychology
• Cognition
• World War II

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

Psychology of Sport and Exercise investigates areas of study like Athletes, Clinical psychology, Developmental psychology, Perception and Social psychology. Quiet eye, Attentional control, Sport psychology and Free throw are some topics wherein Athletes research discussed in it have an impact. Concepts in Self-efficacy, as well as related topics in Congruence (geometry) and Anxiety, are covered in the Clinical psychology research presented in the journal.

In addition to Developmental psychology research, it aims to explore topics under Sedentary behavior, Student athletes, DUAL (cognitive architecture) and Stressor. Psychology of Sport and Exercise explores issues in Perception which can be linked to other research areas like Elite athletes, Elite, Thematic analysis and Cheating. The journal centers on topics in Social psychology, with a focus on Identity (social science).

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

• Athletic identity, values and self-regulatory efficacy governing hypercompetitive attitudes (0 citations)
• Personal strivings of mentally tough Australian Rules footballers (0 citations)
• Red shirt color has no effect on winning in European Soccer: Reanalysis of Attrill et al. (2008) of the English premier league and six additional European leagues (0 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

Top authors and change over time

The top authors publishing in Psychology of Sport and Exercise (based on the number of publications) are:

• Gershon Tenenbaum (26 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Catherine M. Sabiston (24 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Nikos Ntoumanis (24 papers) absent at the last edition,
• Maria Kavussanu (21 papers) absent at the last edition,
• James A. Dimmock (21 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Top affiliations and change over time

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Psychology of Sport and Exercise (based on the number of publications) are:

• Loughborough University (91 papers) absent at the last edition,
• University of Birmingham (81 papers) absent at the last edition,
• University of Alberta (55 papers) absent at the last edition,
• University of British Columbia (49 papers) absent at the last edition,
• University of Ottawa (48 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2022 edition, 40.00% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 11.11% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 11.11% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 22.22% of all publications and 55.56% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

• Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
• Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
• Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
• Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
• Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Potential Career Paths in Sports and Exercise Psychology

For those interested in the field of sports and exercise psychology, there are several career paths that one can pursue. These could range from working directly with athletes, to contributing to the body of research in this field. A career as a sports psychologist could involve providing mental training, counseling, and skill development to athletes of all ages and skill levels. On the other hand, those more interested in the research aspect could work in universities or other research institutions, exploring the various topics related to this field such as cognitive aspects of sports performance, psychological impacts of exercise, and social influences on athletic performance. This could also lead to teaching opportunities in higher education institutions. It's important to note that a career in this field would require individuals to achieve certain educational and licensure qualifications. For instance, most jobs in this field would require a doctoral degree in psychology, along with applicable work experience. Specific to potential psychologists in Maine, such a career journey could take approximately seven to ten years, including obtaining a suitable degree and gaining supervised professional experience. For more detailed information, you may want to consider looking into the specific licensure requirements. Know how long does it take to become a psychologist in Maine. Whichever path you choose in this field, a career in sports and exercise psychology is certainly rewarding, and it allows for a significant contribution to the well-being and performance of athletes as well as to the body of knowledge in this evolving field of study.