On behalf of my Associate Editors (Prof. Cathy Craig and Dr John Kremer, Queen's University, Belfast; Prof. David Lavallee, Stirling University; Dr Tadhg MacIntyre, University of Limerick; and Dr Trish Gorely, Loughborough University) and International Editorial Board (see cover page for full list), I am very pleased to introduce issue 5(2) of International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology (IRSEP).
Overview of the current issue
The first article in this issue, by Christopher Wagstaff (University of Portsmouth), David Fletcher (Loughborough University) and Sheldon Hanton (University of Wales, Cardiff), provides a critical review of the emerging research literature on positive organizational psychology in sport (POPS). A key focus of this review is on the behaviours, psychological processes and organizational climates that contribute to the development of optimal functioning in sport. This article should be of great interest to sport and exercise psychology researchers, sport scientists and scholars in organizational psychology.
The second article is by Markus Raab (German Sport University, Cologne) and provides a critical appraisal of research on a neglected aspect of naturalistic decision making – the role of ‘simple heuristics’ (cognitive shortcuts or rules of thumb) used by athletes, coaches, referees, managers and fans in the dynamic yet uncertain situations that characterize competitive sport. Having examined the nature of, and relationships between, these heuristics, Raab concludes his review by postulating a set of principles to guide future research in this field. This article has interesting implications for researchers in cognitive psychology/neuroscience as well as for colleagues in sport psychology and sport science.
The third article, by Mark Allen (London South Bank University), Pete Coffee (University of Stirling) and Iain Greenlees (University of Chichester), reviews research on team attributions in sport and proposes a new conceptual framework for the study of attributions of team members. These authors conclude by sketching potentially fruitful new directions for research in this field (e.g., little is known about the processes by which team attributions emerge). Clearly, this article will appeal to social psychology researchers in addition to colleagues in sport and exercise psychology.
The fourth article, by Diane Ste-Marie (University of Ottawa), Barbi Law (Nipissing University, Canada), Amanda Rymal (University of Ottawa), Jenny O (California State University), Craig Hall (University of Western Ontario) and Penny McCullagh (California State University), presents a critical review of the research literature on observation interventions for motor skill learning and performance. After their appraisal of relevant studies on this topic, these authors postulate an applied model for practitioners contemplating the implementation of interventions based on observational learning principles. This article will be a valuable addition to interdisciplinary research on observational learning as well as to sport and exercise psychology.
The final article in this issue is by Mathias Haugaaseb and Geir Jordet (both of the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo). It presents a critical review of the research literature on the development of expertise in football. A key finding from this review is the importance of football-specific practice in early developmental phases of young athletes’ careers. The theoretical and practical implications of this finding are then examined. This article will be of great interest to expertise researchers in cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience as well as to scholars in sport and exercise psychology and sport science.
A note of thanks
As usual, this issue of IRSEP would not have been possible without the exceptional diligence and unstinting help of a number of colleagues. In particular, I am very grateful to Dr Kate Kirby, my Editorial Assistant, and also to my excellent and energetic team of Associate Editors (Cathy Craig, Trish Gorely, John Kremer, David Lavallee and Tadhg MacIntyre). Finally, I wish to thank IRSEP's large pool of anonymous manuscript reviewers for their continued assistance in evaluating the submissions that we receive.