Blog Archives

Does Empathy Score in Football?

When you need to perform, emotions either help you, or they throw a spanner in the works. Just ask Arjen Robben who missed a penalty in the final of the Champions League in May. Dr. Gert-Jan Pepping, a researcher at the

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Posted in Football, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

How to end England’s (or anyone else’s) shootout nightmare

For the 6th time since 1990, the British football team has been knocked out of a major tournament by losing the decisive penalty shootout. In the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 against Italy last Sunday, England seemed to finally put an

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Posted in Football, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

Rooney’s take on decision-making in football

“I think, I suppose, when you are younger, you’re always …you’re a bit more advanced than the kids your age, so there are times on the pitch where you can see different things, but they can’t obviously see it. So

Posted in Football

Mental Pressure in Football

As a football player you have to be able to deal with pressure. The worst is the mental pressure in an important match. What exactly is the impact of mental stress on your sports performance – and on the performance of your teammates? Researchers of the University of Groningen and the professional football

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Posted in Experimental Psychology, Football, My own research, Sport Science

Oxytocin, Contagion of Positive Emotions and Performing in Team-Sports

Emotional contagion refers to the tendency to automatically mimic and synchronize expressions, vocalisations, postures and movements with those of another person’s and consequently to converge emotionally. Contagion of positive emotions is thought to play an important role in achieving successful

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Posted in Football, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

I Follow Goals: A Legendary Shootout

Oh I beg you, can I follow Oh I ask you why not always Be the ocean where unravel Be my only, be the water and I’m wading You’re my river running high, run deep run wild Lykke Li (I

Posted in Football

Sex before the match!?

[voor een Nederlandse vertaling van dit bericht klik hier] In sports, long the idea has prevailed that sexual abstinence, that is, no sex before competition, is good for sports performance. Recent research however shows that healthier people have more sex.

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Posted in Football, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

Positive Coaching

Imagine you’re coaching a big football game, against an undefeated team that has beaten your team in all your previous matches. Your 11-year-olds are playing well and are ahead. Then, in the closing minutes, the official makes a bad call

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Posted in Football, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

Oxytocin and Team Decision Making

Dr. Paul Zak explains how morality (read: important decisions when we work together with other people, such as in team sports), is linked to the neuro-peptide oxytocin. Taken from the BBC documentary Horizon: Are you Good or Evil.

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Posted in Football, Joint Action, My own research, Science General, Sport Science

Associating interpersonal relations within a team and ‘on the pitch’ decision-making in football

A poster I presented at FEPSAC 2011 Madeira Research to date in sport psychology has mainly focused on the individual athlete and the necessaries they need to achieve expert performance. In doing so, the impact of the (social, emotional, etc.)

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Posted in Football, My own research, Sport Science