What is Sport and Exercise Psychology?

Sport and Exercise Psychology can provide you with the basis for understanding the thought processes and attitudes of athletes and individuals involved in sport or exercise activities. With this understanding, you can then learn to help others improve their performance and/or psychological well-being.

Since Sport Psychology and Exercise Psychology are two separate subdisciplines, Barry University offers two distinct concentrations within the graduate degree.

Sport Psychology Track. In this track, you will learn about:

cognitive improvement of learning and performance conditions;
information processing factors involved in complex movements;
performance enhancement strategies; and
the development of the attention, anticipation, decision-making, and reacting skills necessary for expert performance in rapidly occurring events.

The sport psychology curriculum includes courses in performance enhancement, motor learning and development, and psychophysiology of human performance.

Exercise Psychology Track. In this track, you will learn about:

the relation between physical activity and public health;
psychological and sociological factors associated with adopting and maintaining exercise programs;
effects of fitness adaptation on biological, psychological, and neurophysiological systems; and
the role of exercise in body image and eating disorders, and exercise dependence.

The Exercise Psychology track emphasizes courses in exercise psychology and health psychology.