Students will produce a 20-minute recorded presentation demonstrating their professional knowledge, ethical awareness, and applied psychological skills.

The presentation will be delivered as though addressing a hypothetical sport, performance, or business organisation seeking psychological support to enhance performance and wellbeing. Students will receive formative feedback throughout the module, comprising task-related feedback on a week-by-week basis, together with discussions to encourage peer-learning, in addition to comments from the relevant tutor.

In this module, students consider issues pertinent to the application of sport and exercise psychology. In the first half of the module, the skills and knowledge required to practice effectively (e.g., counselling skills, case formulation, philosophy of practice, methods of evaluation) are considered along with issues surrounding the delivery of psychological interventions to different groups (e.g., youth athletes). Ethical issues that may arise during the consultancy process in sport and exercise settings are considered and discussed throughout the module. In the second half of the module, a range of psychological techniques available to practitioners are outlined (e.g., self-talk, imagery). Theoretical and empirical evidence for the effectiveness of these techniques will be considered. Students will be required to consider which psychological techniques are most appropriate and how they should best be applied to a range of scenarios (e.g., enhancing confidence in a novice exerciser, helping an elite athlete cope with a career-ending injury).

Learners will examine developmental stages in relation to exercise and sport—covering early childhood motor development, adolescent growth and motivation, adulthood and performance maintenance, and active ageing—while also analysing how qualitative data can be used to understand these developmental processes. The role of social and emotional development, as well as personality and individual differences, will be explored through qualitative case examples and thematic interpretations of real-world developmental narratives.

The module also highlights applied and ethical considerations in developmental research, encouraging students to evaluate how qualitative methods contribute to understanding behaviour change across the lifespan. Through applied examples, discussion, qualitative data analysis, and developmental case work, learners will integrate theory, research, and reflection to understand development as a continuous and dynamic process in sport and exercise settings.

1. Critically apply advanced knowledge and understanding of psychological theory, skills, and techniques to the design, implementation, and evaluation of interventions within sport and performance settings.

Learning Outcome: Application & Problem Solving, Digital Literacy

2. Demonstrate a critical awareness of ethical, professional, and reflective practice in the delivery of psychological support, communicating evidence-informed recommendations appropriate to diverse performance contexts.

Learning Outcome: Reflection, Personal Development & Entrepreneurship

Students follow a single-semester study programme. Students will learn through a combination of asynchronous lectures, synchronous lectures, and webinars. Video lectures will be posted on the virtual learning environment (VLE), and students will be required to view these each week prior to completing the webinar activities, which will then be used to build upon the material presented in the video lectures. In addition, students can access support material via the virtual learning environment (e.g., Blackboard) and Microsoft Teams.

Students are required to access additional support material independently.

Students will learn through a combination of video lectures, independent activities, formative feedback tasks, peer to peer discussions, and 1-2-1 tutor support.

Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment
Microsoft Teams
Internet access
Library facilities

Williams, J. M., & Krane, V. (2020). Applied sport psychology: Personal growth to peak performance (8th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

McCarthy, P., & Jones, M. V. (2014). Becoming a sport psychologist. Routledge.

How to maximise your chances to perform at your optimum!

In this module, you will consider issues pertinent to the competitive world of performance psychology. You will explore how individuals respond to and function across various competitive situations, such as sport, business, military, and exercise. Key issues regarding the application of psychology will include ethics, adherence issues, methods of evaluation, and measuring effectiveness. During the module, you will also explore and practice the use of a range of psychological strategies (e.g., imagery, self-talk) to maintain and enhance performance.