ABSTRACT
Sport and social psychology have been on friendly terms for a long time. In fact the earliest ties stem from Triplett’s now famous work with American cyclists in 1898, and throughout this century the relationship between the two subdisciplines has endured and prospered. Almost by definition social psychology, as the study of social behaviour and experience, is uniquely placed to be able to comprehend what is taking place during sporting occasions of almost all types. With very few exceptions (such as at one extreme, the single-handed round-the-world sailor, at the other extreme the Super Nintendo fanatic!), sport involves social interaction, and accordingly, many of the concerns of social psychologists in general have continued to interest sport psychologists. For example, very basic questions include how is our performance influenced by those around us, how do we explain the success and failure of ourselves and others, and what makes a good team or a good team member? It is these three questions which form the mainstays of this chapter.
