Evidence-Based Applied Sport Psychology

Book excerpt: This is the first book to call for a major paradigm shift in applied sport psychology by providing a wealth of systematic, scientifically validated research in a field where assessment and treatment has often been haphazard. In his quest to bring sport psychology to a higher level of validity, Dr. Carlstedt describes the most current assessment methods, intervention procedures, and promising research that are critical for use in evidence-based practice. These assessment and treatment methods are based on 25 years of rigorous scientific approaches and principles that incorporate the most sophisticated research methods now available. The book describes the mechanisms that influence peak performance or psychological performance deficits and the mental training process, and provides procedures that will take the guesswork out of typical assessment and mental training. It offers tools with which practitioners can reexamine their modus operandi and critically explore the mechanism of interaction outcomes. To this end, the book includes extensive data sets on personality, behavioral tendencies, mind-body responses, and performance outcome. Dr. Carlstedt advocates moving beyond compartmentalized therapeutic sessions in the office to directly observe athletic performance during training and actual competition. The text also contains individual and team case studies to enhance its focus on individualized, efficacy-tested protocols for each individual athlete. Key Features: Presents a detailed client-centered assessment and intervention model grounded in technology-supported, step-by-step procedures, followed by efficacy testing Focuses on the importance of empirical scrutiny and individualized, efficacy-tested protocols for each individual athlete Describes the Carlstedt Protocol containing a visualization efficiency test among many other technologically based assessment and training tools Provides a roadmap for achieving a gold-standard system of accountability Practitioners will learn how to work within Carlstedt's integrative model to improve athlete performance and contribute to the advancement of evidence-based applied sport psychology.