Joseph Baker , Antonia Cattle , Alex McAuley , Adam Kelly , Kathryn Johnston
{"title":"Will artificial intelligence solve the riddle of athlete development? A critical review of how AI is being used for athlete identification, selection, and development","authors":"Joseph Baker , Antonia Cattle , Alex McAuley , Adam Kelly , Kathryn Johnston","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102978","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102978","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The last decade has seen a rapid increase in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) approaches such as machine learning and deep learning in the sport sciences. However, despite the increased interest in this area, the scope and utility of, and challenges associated with, these approaches are relatively unknown.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This critical review aimed to scan sport science research for articles using AI in athlete development contexts (i.e., talent/athlete identification, talent/athlete selection, and talent/athlete development). Through database, external reference lists, book chapters, and other relevant resource searching, information from eligible articles was extracted and form the basis of the current review.</div></div><div><h3>Key takeaways</h3><div>The use of AI was prominent in three main areas: improving athlete assessment, athlete selection and classification, and athlete development and training. These technologies have been used in a variety of ways and appear to have potential value for those working in this area. The challenges associated with these approaches are also discussed.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>AI in the context of athlete development allows for access to more data, more easily, and with greater statistical complexity, than ever before. Importantly, a balanced approach that embraces both innovation and critical evaluation seems necessary to ensure these tools enhance, rather than disrupt, the athlete identification, selection, and development landscape.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102978"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145215001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Positive peer relationships, social identity, and adaptive sport motivation in youth athletes","authors":"Justin T. Worley , Alan L. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organized sport provides youth with the opportunity to form interpersonal relationships and derive part of their identity from sport team membership. Though identities are negotiated within the context of interpersonal relationships, little research has examined how peer relationships may associate with athletes' social identity and downstream sport motivation. The purpose of this study was to examine whether positive peer relationships were associated with adaptive sport motivation by way of athlete social identity. High school athletes (<em>N</em> = 202, female <em>n</em> = 121, <em>M</em><sub>age</sub> = 16.1 years, <em>SD</em><sub>age</sub> = 1.3 years) completed established measures of friendship quality and peer acceptance, social identity (cognitive centrality, ingroup affect), and sport enjoyment, enthusiastic sport commitment, and autonomous motivation. Observed path analysis showed neither friendship quality nor peer acceptance was directly associated with enthusiastic sport commitment, sport enjoyment, nor autonomous motivation. Friendship quality was positively associated with cognitive centrality (β = 0.30) and ingroup affect (β = 0.20), and peer acceptance was positively associated with ingroup affect (β = 0.25). In turn, cognitive centrality was positively associated with enthusiastic sport commitment (β = 0.21) and autonomous motivation (β = 0.24). Ingroup affect was positively associated with enthusiastic sport commitment (β = 0.42), sport enjoyment (β = 0.55), and autonomous motivation (β = 0.46). The pattern of indirect effects was partially aligned with expectations. Results suggest that the motivational importance of peer relationships may, in part, operate through features of athletes’ identification with their sport team.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102996"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145056480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of the multidimensional inventory of physical activity identity","authors":"Denver M.Y. Brown , Alan Meca , Augustine Osman","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102990","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102990","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identity is among the most robust psychological constructs for predicting whether individuals translate physical activity (PA) intentions into action. However, existing identity measures in the PA domain focus narrowly on exercise and largely adopt limited unidimensional conceptualizations. This study aimed to develop and validate the Multidimensional Inventory of Physical Activity Identity (MIPAI-25), a novel instrument grounded in a multidimensional, theoretically integrated framework. Across two samples of university students (Study 1: <em>n</em> = 580, 61.6 % women; Study 2: <em>n</em> = 619, 66.4 % women), we used classical test theory, Mokken scale analysis, and item response theory to construct and refine the content relevancy of the items for each scale. In Study 1, the final 25-item instrument captures five distinct dimensions of PA identity: Acknowledgment, Compatibility, Centrality, Commitment, and Exploration. Each subscale score demonstrated strong internal consistency, unidimensionality, and measurement invariance across gender groups. In Study 2, all five dimensions were positively associated with moderate-to-vigorous PA behavior and PA-related constructs from the Multi-Process Action Control framework, with the strongest associations observed for habit and behavioral regulation – key post-intentional processes that facilitate action control. The MIPAI-25 offers a more ecologically valid and dynamic representation of PA identity, extending beyond exercise-specific and unidimensional measures. Findings support its use as both a comprehensive tool and a set of five stand-alone subscales, depending on research or practical needs. Future longitudinal studies are needed to explore how these identity dimensions evolve across life transitions and to inform more targeted, identity-based interventions for promoting sustained physical activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102990"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016981","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Juan-José Pérez-Díaz , Isabel Benítez , José-Antonio Salas-Montoro , Mikel Zabala , Daniel Sanabria
{"title":"Can't hold any more! A large survey on cycling subjective experience at the limit of effort","authors":"Juan-José Pérez-Díaz , Isabel Benítez , José-Antonio Salas-Montoro , Mikel Zabala , Daniel Sanabria","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102991","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102991","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cyclists frequently experience task failure, an abrupt inability to maintain high-intensity effort, pushing both physiological and psychological boundaries. Although the physiological underpinnings of task failure are well-documented, the associated subjective and perceptual experiences remain underexplored. To address this gap, we surveyed 2818 licensed cyclists, gathering extensive data on the subjective aspects of reaching the point of exhaustion. Key findings indicate that physical cues, particularly muscle pain, are the most salient sensations perceived as cyclists approach their effort limit. A majority of cyclists (60.5 %) reported that task failure often occurs before reaching their absolute maximum perceived exertion, highlighting a potential psychological influence on cessation. The perception of task failure as voluntary versus involuntary varied significantly with age, cycling experience, and the use of performance monitoring devices (e.g., powermeters), with older/experienced cyclists tending towards perceiving it as more voluntary. Common strategies reported to prolong effort included self-talk, goal focus, and conscious breathing regulation. The study also revealed a common alteration in time perception, with the majority experiencing a slowing of time during maximal exertion. Collectively, these findings emphasize that task failure is a multifaceted phenomenon driven by an interplay of physiological states, psychological factors, and subjective perception. A deeper understanding of these experiential dynamics holds potential for developing training interventions aimed at improving effort management and enhancing endurance performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102991"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145017009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ACTive to the peak: Psychological flexibility and the relationship with flow and clutch states","authors":"Luca Ziegler, Lindsey Leatherman, Ashley Coker-Cranney","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102989","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102989","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current research on psychological flexibility (PF) in sport has largely relied on cross-sectional assessments or limited follow-up, which overlooks the inherently dynamic nature of the competitive athletic season. Furthermore, the relationship between PF and optimal mental states associated with enhanced athletic performance, primarily flow and clutch states, remain relatively unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to longitudinally assess the six processes of psychological flexibility and flow and clutch states across a competitive season. Collegiate soccer players (<em>n</em> = 173) completed online pre-game psychological flexibility and post-game optimal mental states assessments for pre-season, non-conference, conference, and post-season games. Aside from values, the remaining five processes remained stable across the season, providing further support that processes should be specifically targeted via psychological interventions to see improvement. Furthermore, values were a significant predictor of flow states in non-conference games (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup><sub>Adj.</sub> = .30), while cognitive defusion significantly predicted clutch states in conference games (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup><sub>Adj.</sub> = .67). The remaining processes did not account for a significant amount of variance in flow or clutch states, suggesting that unidimensional psychological flexibility may not be directly related to improving optimal mental states. Practical implications relate to the importance of multidimensional assessment of psychological flexibility, consideration of the relative stability in psychological flexibility, and the finding that psychological flexibility did not directly relate to optimal mental states in the present study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102989"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144933515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Optimizing exercise for perinatal depressive symptoms: A network meta-analysis of effective modalities and doses","authors":"Jingyi Xie, Mingyuan Jin, Bin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102980","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102980","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>While exercise is a promising strategy for alleviating perinatal depressive symptoms, its clinical potential remains unrealized due to ambiguity in optimal modalities and dosages, hindering targeted clinical prescription and the design of effective interventions. This study aimed to identify the most effective exercise type and dosage for reducing perinatal depressive symptoms severity.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating exercise for perinatal depressive symptoms were identified from four databases (from inception to November 2024). A comprehensive comparison of the effectiveness of various exercise modalities in alleviating perinatal depressive symptoms was conducted using a combination of network meta-analysis (NMA) and dose-response meta-analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 46 RCTs involving 5719 participants were included. In the NMA, Pilates ranked highest for reducing perinatal depressive symptoms, showing a marked effect [SMD = −1.25, 95 % CrI: (−2.14, −0.364)]. Yoga, aerobic exercise, and flexibility training followed, also showing notable effects. The optimal dose for substantial benefits was identified as approximately 360 MET-min/week. This is practically equivalent to engaging in two 30-min sessions per week for a duration of 12 weeks.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Our findings conclude that exercise modalities like Pilates and yoga are highly effective for alleviating perinatal depressive symptoms when prescribed at an optimal dose of approximately 360 MET-min/week. This is practically achievable through two 30-min sessions weekly for 12 weeks. These findings provide clinicians with actionable, evidence-based guidance for prescribing exercise to this population. Future research should prioritize head-to-head trials comparing leading modalities, such as Pilates and yoga, to further refine therapeutic guidelines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102980"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144902447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kyle J.M. Bennett , Patricia C. Jackman , Rochelle Eime , Dylan R. Poulus
{"title":"A path for transforming esports into a health and performance domain","authors":"Kyle J.M. Bennett , Patricia C. Jackman , Rochelle Eime , Dylan R. Poulus","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102973","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102973","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The health and wellbeing of young people (10–24 years old) is a global public health priority, with evidence that many of these individuals have poor physical, mental, and social health. Adding to the growing concerns is the rise in overall digital media usage and the popularity of video gaming as a leisure activity. Developing from video gaming is a competitive form known as esport, which has now reached a level where it is starting to mirror the traditional sporting landscape in terms of professionalism. Given the competitive focus of esports and players striving to gain an edge over opponents, many have adopted a training approach characterised by long hours of repetitive practice, colloquially referred to as “grinding”. These high levels of engagement, often totalling over 20 h per week, mean players may sacrifice their physical, mental, and social wellbeing, as they do not have time to engage in healthy behaviours. With the growing visibility and mainstream status, we argue that esports is at a crossroads where failing to address the grinding culture could negatively impact players’ long-term health. Rather than seeing performance and health as a dichotomy, we propose a <em>Performance through Health</em> approach that raises the potential for the two to co-exist. We suggest leveraging systems thinking, socio-ecological models, and co-creation methodologies to design, develop, and implement strategies and interventions that are appropriately tailored to the needs of the industry while acknowledging the multiple interacting layers that can impact implementation and success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102973"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144902448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A commentary on “Decision making in sports” by Johnson (2025)","authors":"David P. Broadbent, Lyndell M. Bruce","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102979","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102979","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recognition of the 25th anniversary of <em>Psychology of Sport and Exercise</em> (PSE), Johnson (2025) provided an insightful overview of decision making in sports, detailing the foundations of this research in psychology and then outlining the growth of decision making research in sport psychology. The review highlighted the tremendous progression of this research area, outlining several theoretical approaches that have been proposed, and providing future directions that will continue to progress the area in the next 25 years. It is the latter which we have chosen to delve in to further in this commentary. Specifically, we contend that the key for advancing this area of research is the use of real-world data and representative study designs to further our understanding of the interactive and context-specific nature of decision making in sport. This will have implications for performance and training in sport, as well as wider implications for our understanding of how humans interact with the world. We provide a brief overview of the key points we took from the review by Johnson (2025) and build on each of these to highlight future directions for research that could provide unique insights into decision making in sport.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102979"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144984342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Quality participation of physical activity matters for quality of life and subjective wellbeing in people with disabilities","authors":"Chunxiao Li , Justin A. Haegele , Brett Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102976","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102976","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Martin Ginis (2025) critically examines the inconsistent and often inconclusive evidence on the effects of physical activity (PA) on quality of life (QOL) and subjective well-being (SWB) in people with disabilities. In this article, we build on her arguments by highlighting conceptual ambiguities, methodological limitations, and measurement challenges that have contributed to these inconsistencies. We then evaluate the Quality Participation Model of PA and QOL/SWB as a promising framework that positions quality participation as central to enhancing well-being. Finally, we outline future directions (e.g., construct refinement, technological tailoring, co-produced research, and critical happiness studies) and call for a shift toward inclusive, high-quality PA experiences to realize PA's full potential in disability contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102976"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144893105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Moral behaviour in sport: Tracing the past and looking to the future","authors":"Maria Kavussanu","doi":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102975","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.psychsport.2025.102975","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research examining prosocial and antisocial behaviours - collectively referred to as moral behaviour – in the sport context has proliferated in the past 20 years. Prosocial and antisocial behaviours are intentional behaviours that can have positive or negative consequences for the recipient's rights and psychological or physical welfare. This article reviews research on moral behaviour in sport and discusses how this research evolved in the last 20 years. Most studies have examined antecedents or predictors of prosocial and antisocial behaviours focusing predominantly on intrapersonal variables but also investigating social-environmental influences. In the last 10 years, some studies have examined consequences of these behaviours for the recipient. The review starts by tracing the development of the constructs of prosocial and antisocial sport behaviours and their measurement. Then, research on antecedents or predictors of prosocial and antisocial sport behaviours is discussed followed by studies on consequences or outcomes of these behaviours. The article concludes with a discussion of practical implications, key issues, challenges, and future research directions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54536,"journal":{"name":"Psychology of Sport and Exercise","volume":"82 ","pages":"Article 102975"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144919774","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}