Heterosexism, homonegativism, and transprejudice are prejudices aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) people. These beliefs and actions are common in sport and negatively impact all participants, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. This entry discusses common types of prejudices faced by LGBT sport participants, defines related terminology, and notes the effects
Race can be understood as a concept that signifies meanings and struggles over power in reference to skin color. Within the social sciences, most consider race to be not a biologically valid concept but rather a social construction. The issue of race in sport and exercise psychology is important because while the majority of professionals
Perception brings us into contact with people, objects, and places within the environment. Perception relies on sensory systems that enable humans to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste. It is estimated that one third of the human brain is dedicated to perception. Early Greek philosophers were among the first to study the science of perception.
All animals must act in their environment in order to survive. They must also react to changes in the environment, for example, when threats or beneficial opportunities arise. Responses are defined as any reaction of the organism to external or internal events. Responses can pertain to one or more levels of body function ranging from
Classical definitions of retention emphasize the degree to which people are able to remember (or perform) some previously practiced material (or skill) after an elapsed period of time. Thus, retention likely depends on an individual’s memory of the material or skill in question. Not surprisingly, most definitions of memory sound similar to those of retention.
Culture refers to the context in which people develop their perspective on, and approach to, life. Numerous cultures exist, representing the multiple geographic regions and racial, class, ethnic, and gender groups across the world. Multiculturalism refers to an approach that integrates these varied perspectives into society and an awareness of how an individual’s cultural background
The term adaptation has been integrated within the sport psychology literature, from as early as 1986. Initially mentioned in relation to elite athlete retirement, adaptation is a broad term associated with monumental change in the athlete’s life. People experience stress in their lives, and at certain times stress reaches a threshold, after which one must
Assimilation refers to the integration of one culture into another. This integration may include changes in cultural characteristics such as language, appearance, food, music, and religion among other customs. Cultural values and beliefs also influence this integration of cultures. Assimilation is relevant to sport performance in that sports occur in the context of culture, society,
Conceptualizing Movements Within Different Taxonomies There are at least three ways to differentiate the various kinds of movements into different taxonomies. The first is to consider the number of different movement elements, components, or actions that need to be generated and executed. In this context, three different categories can be identified: discrete movements, serial movements
Aggression has a long history in both sport and nonsport contexts. There is some variation in the definitions of aggression employed by different people. However, it is commonly agreed that aggression is a verbal or physical behavior that is directed intentionally toward another individual and has the potential to cause psychological or physical harm. In