ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the difference between sport psychology and exercise psychology. It explains sport psychology as an academic field and as an applied profession. It demonstrates why sport psychology is an applied science. It shows how non-sport psychologists can use sport psychology knowledge. It describes the typical training involved in becoming a sport psychologist. Effective training to become a sport psychologist is based on the scientist-practitioner model. In this approach to education, students are trained to adhere to the scientific principles of problem-solving and to base decisions when working with clients on the best evidence available within humane and ethical boundaries. Social learning theory, developed by the highly influential psychologist, Albert Bandura, is an example of a theory that helps explain much behaviour in sport. Researchers may develop their hypotheses from learning about the results from existing research or from conversations with coaches and athletes.
