Integrating brain-body-behavior data for performance optimization: Augmented technologies for the next generation of sport psychologists

Abstract

Optimizing sport performance demands a nuanced understanding of the dynamic interaction between the person, the task, and the environment. Within the framework of the Multi-States theory, the integration of brain-body data informs emotion- and action-centered self-regulatory strategies by uncovering the psychophysiological dynamics that characterize proficient information processing and superior performance effectiveness. This theoretical and practical approach offers the opportunity to track athletes’ performance states and implement real-time adjustments, while it could also support the development of interventions and training regiments that are individualized and task-specific. We also argue how brain-body-behavior technologies could be combined within virtual mixed or augmented environments to support the transfer of perceptual-cognitive-motor skills from lab-based interventions into real-world performance outcomes. We argue that such measures offer unique, objective windows into performance states and self-regulation skills, particularly in ecologically valid settings. We further discuss current trends and challenges that surround the use of technology in performance optimization interventions within the field of sport psychology, and we propose that future augmented technologies should strive to develop AI-driven brain-body-behavior data analytics to combine objective pattern recognition with subjective experiential insight, urging the next generation of sport psychologists to shift from reactive to proactive approaches to performance optimization to better align current applied practices with the complex dynamics of sport performance. Finally, we argue that research lines investigating team dynamics and e-sport performance are especially well-positioned to benefit from this integrative approach.