Open research questions in Sport Psychology and Performance

What the literature leaves open

• The paper identifies the challenge of applying a concept developed in a military context to a different environment, such as elite sport. It notes the complexity of defining and measuring moral injury. The research highlights the need for an interdisciplinary approach to understanding moral injury in elite sport.

  Moral Injury in Elite Sport: Trauma in the Failure of the Athlete’s Quest · 2026 · DOI

• The paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the applicability of moral injury to elite sport. It notes the need for a more nuanced understanding of moral injury in non-military contexts. The research highlights the lack of research on moral injury in elite sport.

  Moral Injury in Elite Sport: Trauma in the Failure of the Athlete’s Quest · 2026 · DOI

• The logistical challenges of accessing an elite and heavily scheduled population. The potential limitation of the study's short average interview duration, which may have restricted the depth of data obtainable on certain topics. The need for flexibility and efficiency in the data collection strategy, given the demands of the players' training schedules and geographical dispersion.

  The Function of Religious Rituals in Psychological Coping and Motivational Meaning-Making Among Professional Football Players: Evidence from Turkey · 2026 · DOI

• further research could explore the role of religious rituals in other sports disciplines, - investigation of the long-term effects of religious rituals on football players' careers

  The Function of Religious Rituals in Psychological Coping and Motivational Meaning-Making Among Professional Football Players: Evidence from Turkey · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in terms of the limited number of independent scoring events. The estimates at later scoring-run positions depended heavily on a limited number of scoring sequences. The study had to address the issue of missing ratings due to unavailable voice recordings.

  Real-time changes in player-perceived psychological momentum across scoring runs in volleyball: a single-match case study · 2026 · DOI

• further studies could investigate PM in official competitions, - research could explore PM in different sports or contexts, - studies could examine the relationship between PM and athletic performance in more detail

  Real-time changes in player-perceived psychological momentum across scoring runs in volleyball: a single-match case study · 2026 · DOI

• the review was limited to studies conducted in Europe, - the sample size was limited to 393 participants, - the studies had considerable variation in intervention approaches, outcome measures, and sport disciplines

  Interventions for developing selective and sustained attention in adolescent athletes: a scoping review · 2026 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in terms of missing values in the dataset, which limited the sample size for adjusted regression and conditional indirect-association models. The study's cross-sectional design limited the ability to establish temporal ordering or directional change. The study's findings may not be generalizable to other populations or contexts.

  Exercise identity and psychological distress among university sport participants: the roles of self-compassion and training stress · 2026 · DOI

• The study used a cross-sectional design, - The analysis file was limited to one completed questionnaire wave, - Some covariates contained missing values, - The adjusted interaction and conditional indirect pattern was not robust to sensitivity specification

  Exercise identity and psychological distress among university sport participants: the roles of self-compassion and training stress · 2026 · DOI

• The lack of a comprehensive and systematic assessment framework in sports psychology. The existing assessment approaches focus on individual psychological variables, neglecting the multidimensional structure of athletes' psychological profiles.

  Structuring the psychological “State” assessment process for sports psychologists: a proposal for a theory-based holistic model · 2026 · DOI

• studies involving Future research should focus on evaluating the psychometric properties of the proposed SPODAF assessment form through populations. empirical Procedures such as exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, reliability assessment, criterion-related validity, construct validity, and test–retest reliability should be conducted to determine the measurement properties of the assessment form while preserving the conceptual structure of the proposed theoretical model. different athlete The applicability of SPODAF should also be examined across different sport disciplines, competitive levels, age groups, and

  Structuring the psychological “State” assessment process for sports psychologists: a proposal for a theory-based holistic model · 2026 · DOI

• The highly competitive and lucrative nature of the soccer industry may limit the availability of research on the relationship between executive functions and game intelligence. The lack of standardized methodologies for assessing executive functions and game intelligence in soccer may limit the comparability and generalizability of results. The dynamic and context-specific cognitive demands of real-game situations may not be fully captured by standardized neuropsychological tests.

  A scoping review of empirical research on executive functions and game intelligence in soccer · 2025 · DOI

• substantial methodological heterogeneity, - lack of ecological validity in some studies, - the review exhibits limitations in the operationalization of both EFs and game intelligence

  A scoping review of empirical research on executive functions and game intelligence in soccer · 2025 · DOI

• The study identifies a gap in understanding the neuromotor processes underlying successful and unsuccessful performance in lower limb movements. There is a need to investigate whether lower activation of the prefrontal and central cortices corresponds to higher degrees of psychomotor performance.

  Neuromotor mechanisms of successful football penalty kicking: an EEG pilot study · 2025 · DOI

• College athletes face dual demands from training and academics, increasing their risk of both athletic and academic burnout. The study aims to explore the complex relationships between college athlete burnout, cognitive reappraisal, sleep quality, and academic burnout. The researchers need to develop effective interventions to support student-athletes' academic adjustment and mental health.

  The impact of athlete burnout on academic burnout among college athletes: a multiple mediation model based on emotion regulation and sleep · 2025 · DOI

• further research is needed to fully understand the effects of CMDT training, - investigation into the specific needs of each sport

  The effects of cognitive-motor dual-task training on athletes’ cognition and motor performance · 2024 · DOI

• The effectiveness of cognitive-motor dual-task training in enhancing cognitive-motor performance compared to traditional single-task training is unclear. There is a need to investigate the effects of cognitive-motor dual-task training on athletes' cognition and motor performance.

  The effects of cognitive-motor dual-task training on athletes’ cognition and motor performance · 2024 · DOI

• Comparison of the TDT to gold-standard screening tools - Investigation of the TDT's effectiveness in other age ranges - Exploration of the TDT's usefulness in other ball sports

  Skillful and strategic navigation in soccer – a motor-cognitive dual-task approach for the evaluation of a dribbling task under different cognitive load conditions · 2024 · DOI

• Further studies could investigate the causal relationships between psychological resilience and other variables - Longitudinal studies could be conducted to examine the development of psychological resilience in judokas over time

  Psychological resilience, athletic experience, and competitive level of judokas. A transversal study · 2024 · DOI

• Investigate the effect of mental training on elite football performance, - Investigate the relationship between mental processes and performance in non-elite athletes, - Explore the use of sports psychologists in developing mental skills in younger players

  Mental processes in professional football players · 2024 · DOI

• The specific effects of coach-delivered verbal encouragement on the physiological and psychological responses of adolescent basketball players have not been adequately examined. There is a need for research on the impact of verbal encouragement on player performance and psychological well-being in basketball.

  Effects of coach-delivered verbal encouragement on the physiological and psychological responses of adolescent players in small-sided basketball games · 2024 · DOI

• Investigate the effects of different DT paradigms on elite athletes, - Examine the relationship between cognitive function and DTC in non-athletes, - Explore the impact of training on DTC in elite athletes

  Dual-task costs in speed tasks: a comparison between elite ice hockey, open-skill and closed-skill sports athletes · 2024 · DOI

• The study faced challenges in recruiting participants from French-speaking African countries. The study had to overcome the challenge of limited resources. The study had to consider the cultural beliefs and stigma surrounding mental health issues in the participating countries.

  Mental health of young talented football players in an African context: A cross-sectional observational study · 2024 · DOI

• The study only included French-speaking African countries, - The study did not include countries from East and Southern Africa, - Limited resources restricted the study to three sub-regions of Africa

  Mental health of young talented football players in an African context: A cross-sectional observational study · 2024 · DOI

• This heterogeneity makes direct comparisons between studies challenging and highlights the current lack of standardized intervention protocols and assessment methods for developing attentional abilities in adolescent athletes.

  Interventions for developing selective and sustained attention in adolescent athletes: a scoping review · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Sport Psychology and Performance

• The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. · Psychological Review · 1993 · 6,221 citations
• Development and Validation of a Scale to Measure Optimal Experience: The Flow State Scale · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · 1996 · 1,105 citations
• Perceptual-Cognitive Expertise in Sport: A Meta-Analysis · Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · 2007 · 1,072 citations
• Evidence that task performance should be distinguished from contextual performance. · Journal of Applied Psychology · 1994 · 1,040 citations
• Multilevel Modeling of Individual and Group Level Mediated Effects · Multivariate Behavioral Research · 2001 · 1,027 citations
• Knowledge, knerves and know‐how: The role of explicit versus implicit knowledge in the breakdown of a complex motor skill under pressure · British Journal of Psychology · 1992 · 897 citations
• On the fragility of skilled performance: What governs choking under pressure? · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · 2001 · 847 citations
• Defining elite athletes: Issues in the study of expert performance in sport psychology · Psychology of sport and exercise · 2014 · 807 citations
• A variance explanation paradox: When a little is a lot. · Psychological Bulletin · 1985 · 739 citations
• The Effects of Mental Practice on Motor Skill Learning and Performance: A Meta-analysis · Journal of Sport Psychology · 1983 · 726 citations

Most recent work

• Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2026) · British Journal of Sports Medicine · 2026
• Mental health and well‐being in esports: A scoping review · Applied Psychology · 2026
• Psychological dynamics shaping performance perception in athletes: the influence of coaching behaviours, psychological safety, self-efficacy, and resilience · BMC Psychology · 2026
• Effects of non-functional overreaching and overtraining syndrome on psychological and cognitive functioning in elite athletes: A systematic review · Psychology of Sport and Exercise · 2026
• The Children-to-Youth Sport Transition Through the Eyes of Norwegian Coaches · International Sport Coaching Journal · 2026
• Exploring Coaches’ Responses to Interpersonal Violence in Sport: Recognition, Severity Perception, and Likelihood of Reporting · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · 2026
• Moral Injury in Elite Sport: Trauma in the Failure of the Athlete’s Quest · Journal of Religion and Health · 2026
• The core literacies of sport psychology scientist-practitioners · International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology · 2026
• From glass cliffs to glass ceilings: What can we do to support women working in the academic field of sport and exercise psychology? · Psychology of sport and exercise · 2026
• “It's not just a workout class. It's a safe space.” Victim-survivor perspectives on the design and delivery of a trauma and violence-informed cardio boxing exercise intervention · Psychology of sport and exercise · 2026

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