ABSTRACT
A critical appraisal of the literature on growth following adversity in sport reveals how it is peppered with conceptual ambiguity. The purpose of this chapter, therefore, is to take stock of the literature from a conceptual perspective by addressing a fundamental question: What is growth following adversity? The chapter is divided into two sections, the first of which outlines and clarifies the multiple meanings of growth by unraveling the subtle differences in the terms used to refer to the phenomenon (e.g., posttraumatic growth, stress-related growth, action-focused growth, benefit finding). Building upon this opening conceptual discussion, the second section aims to critically consider two specific questions: “What is positive change?” and “Is growth more than an individual (psychological) experience?” Rather than striving for consensus on terminology, the chapter closes by celebrating and encouraging conceptual diversity in future research in applied sport psychology and beyond.
