Action-Theory Approach to Applied Sport Psychology

A typical track and field sports event reveals a great deal of diversity. While a pole-vaulter is getting ready for the next vault, the starting pistol goes off and a group of track athletes break explosively into a 100 m sprint. A coach is helping an athlete to prepare herself mentally for a decisive high jump, while another group of athletes is relaxing on a mat at the edge of the stadium. During this time, spectators watch and applaud when appropriate. Such a diversity of behaviors also suggests diversity in taskrelated and situation-related components. For example, the behavior of the 100 m sprinters seems to rely on simple reaction time after the pistol shot. The behavior of the spectators seems to rely on the performance of the athletes. The relaxing group of athletes is engaged in regulating physiological or psychological processes, and the coach is busy in consultation and provision of instructions to the athletes. However, the events observed in the stadium rely, among other things, on the experiences, specific viewpoints, and conceptual framework of the sport psychologist. The actiontheory approach formulates a fundamental concept of actions in sport and thereby provides a consistent and plausible basis for explaining the diversity of phenomena in sport practice. The theoretical foundation and empirical evidence of the fundamental aspects of actions in sport should promote and support the practical work of sport psychologists.