The book is designed to allow readers to study issues in isolation or as part of a course or a module. The five main parts are Relationships in Sport, Coach Leadership and Group Dynamics, Motivational Climate, Key Social and Cognitive Processes in Sport, and The Athlete in the Wider Sport Environment. Each chapter is cross-referenced and provides a clear description of the topic and a concise theoretical overview along with a discussion of existing research. The chapters also introduce new research ideas, suggest practical research applications, and conclude with summaries and questions to help instructors engage the class in discussion and to help students follow the key points."--Publisher's website.

"This edited textbook offers a global perspective on research, practice, and future directions in social psychology in sport. Topics include relationships, communication, leadership, motivation, and morality. Readers gain insight into the interactions and dynamics that affect sport performance and the sport experience for youth and adult athletes and coaches"--

This new textbook examines the role that social psychology has in the explanation of exercise and sport behaviour. It devotes considerable attention to key social psychological issues within the two disciplines; health-related exercise behaviour and the behaviour of competitive sport participants and the spectators of elite sport. Rather than presenting a broad, superficial overview of diverse areas in exercise and sport, the book focuses on a range of selected topics and provides a comprehensive, in-depth and analytical coverage using social psychology as a framework. It thoroughly examines how social psychological research and intervention has contributed to the understanding of key topics in exercise and sport behaviour including: The social psychology of exercise and health Social cognitive theories of exercise behaviour Exercise and the physical self Eating disorders in exercise and sport Emotion and mood in athletes Social psychology and motivation in sport Group processes in sport Aggression and crowd violence The Social Psychology of Exercise and Sport is key reading for undergraduate and postgraduate students on social or sport psychology courses and on health-related or sports science courses. Illustrated throughout with practical guidelines for researchers and practitioners, it is also a valuable resource for professionals interested in understanding and changing the behaviour of exercise participants and athletes.

This book is written from the perspective of a social psychologist. As a conse quence, the topics covered in the upcoming chapters were chosen from among those traditionally of interest to the discipline of social psychology. A criterion for inclusion was the topic's usefulness in providing insights and/or understand ing ofthe social processes at work in sports settings. To this end, I have drawn ex tensively from mainstream journals in social psychology (e. g. , Journal of Per sonality and Social Psychology), and grounded the discussion of topics and issues on the methodologically sound studies/experiments they generally provide. There is also an equally strong interdisciplinary emphasis that features research from physical education, sociology, management science, and education. I have made a further attempt, not as successful as I would have liked, to incorporate a substan tial amount of the fine sports research that has been conducted overseas, particu larly in Europe and Australia. I am hopeful that in bringing together the works of international scholars from a variety of disciplines a clearer and balanced outline of this field will take shape. And now a word about the audience for this text and how to get the most from its pages. I would suggest that the reader have taken a course in social psychology following an introductory-level course. An introductory course in research methodology would also be helpful.

How should athletes prepare for the pressures of a large crowd? How do you manage conflict and disunity in a team? How can you encourage individuals to do more exercise? Covering a broad range of areas from elite sport to public health programmes, The Social Psychology of Sport and Exercise examines human behaviour and how we can change it. The authors combine innovative research with practical examples and case studies, masterfully explaining the theory and applying it to real-life problems. From coaching world-class athletes to running exercise referral schemes, this book offers unrivalled advice and guidance. The Social Psychology of Sport and Exercise: - Analyses contemporary research from both sport and exercise psychology - Investigates the issues and challenges that practitioners face in settings ranging from the World Cup to the leisure centre - Suggests useful strategies to help you put the theory into practice This highly readable textbook is perfect for undergraduate and postgraduate students studying sport and exercise psychology, while its practical nature means that it will also be of interest to professionals working in the field.