Sport-psych-mapping: an exploratory interview framework for sport and exercise psychology

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present an exploratory interview framework called Sport-Psych-Mapping, that can serve practitioners as guidance in exploring the psychological reality of individuals and collectives. To meet our aim, in this article we address (a) the context in which the exploratory interview framework was developed, (b) the theoretical structure used to select topics and questions, (c) the structure of the interview, (d) the topics and questions in the central section of the interview, (e) the summary section of the interview, and (f) different ways the exploratory interview framework has been applied. The hallmarks of Sport-Psych-Mapping are: the structure that includes an opening, central, and summary section; the central section, in which external variables, bio-psychological states and traits, as well as psychological skills are explored; and the summary section, where an individual map is created with key concepts and phrases that reflect the interviewee’s main responses.