Listen to our Sports Psychologists on Science Café tonight
As the London 2012 Olympics approaches, the team from Radio Wales’ Science Café visit Bangor University’s Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance at the School of Sport, Health & Exercise Sciences to discover the research that can help give top athletes the edge in high pressure sports events.
The broadcast is on Tuesday 3rd July at 7pm on Radio Wales and can be listened to again for up to a week after the first transmission
As co-director Dr Tim Woodman explains, Bangor's IPEP is highly regarded in the world of sports psychology with a range of specialties that aim to help both individual athletes as well as teams excel in their chosen field. One area which can trip up even those at the top of their profession, is the "ironic error" - where under pressure, there is a tendency to commit the one mistake they are trying to avoid.
Lecturer Dr Ross Roberts discusses the role that an individual's personality can play in sporting performance, including those with narcissistic tendencies.
Presenter Adam Walton also meets lecturer and IPEP co-director Calum Arthur who works with sports coaches and the military, particularly infantry, devising strategies to improve performance and team work.
Sport psychology lecturer Stuart Beattie chats about how some of the techniques that are used for elite athletes could be adapted for all of us to improve our attitude to daily life.
Publication date: 3 July 2012