Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition , the new edition of the best-selling sport and exercise psychology book on the market, continues to provide a thorough introduction to the key concepts in the field. Written by internationally respected authors, it provides students and new practitioners with a comprehensive view of sport and exercise psychology, bridges the gap between research and practice, conveys principles of professional practice, and captures the excitement of the world of sport and exercise.

A supreme effort has been made to meet the increasing needs of professors, practitioners, and students. To further improve the total learning experience, the new edition features

-an online study guide that provides an interactive learning experience for students;

-thoroughly updated material that reflects the latest research and practice in the field to keep students aware of recent findings and hot topics in the field; and

-more contemporary practical examples, case studies, and anecdotes to help students understand various theories and concepts.
Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition, allows students to gain an understanding of the field while learning how to apply sport and exercise knowledge. The book contains seven parts that may be studied in any sequence. Part I introduces students to the field, detailing its history, current status, and the various roles of sport and exercise psychologists. Part II focuses on personal factors that affect performance and psychological development in sport, physical education, and exercise settings. In part III , the authors focus on two major classes of situational factors that influence behavior: competition and cooperation, and feedback and reinforcement. Part IV focuses on group interaction and processes, while part V discusses how psychological techniques may be used to help people perform more effectively. Part VI addresses the various roles psychological factors play in health and exercise. The final section, part VII , deals with main topics of psychological development and well-being that are important to both society and sport and exercise psychology, including children''s psychological development through sport participation, aggression in sport, and moral development and good sporting behavior in sport and physical activity contexts.

Includes an online study guide!

To assist students using the text, Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition, has a companion online student study guide. Completely integrated with the text, the study guide allows students to experience content through multiple dimensions. Students will receive free access to the study guide with the purchase of a new text or it may be purchased as a separate component.
The online study guide is a trend-setting addition that will allow the subject of sport psychology to come alive to its users. The study guide is written to work directly with the text; mentions of the study guide appear in each chapter to encourage readers to take advantage of the study guide''s learning tools. This online study guide features more than 90 individual and small-group learning activities that may be printed and handed in or e-mailed to instructors for assessment. These activities require students to

-use actual sport and exercise psychology instruments to assess their skills,

-determine how to respond to real-life scenarios (with short answers or essays),

-review and design research studies and experiments, search the Internet for relevant information, and apply and test their
-understanding of sport and exercise psychology principles and concepts.
Audio clips feature esteemed experts from the field discussing key course concepts that they have studied and refined during their professional careers. Students will hear from experts such as:

-Robert C. Eklund, PhD, FACSM
Professor at Florida State University

-Diane L. Gill, PhD
Professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro

-Rainer Martens, PhD
President of Human Kinetics

-Judy L. Van Raalte, PhD
Professor at Springfield College

-Robin Vealey, PhD
Professor at Miami University in Ohio

-Craig Wrisberg, PhD
Professor at the University of Tennessee
These and other experts offer a great deal of insight on the issues being discussed in the text, and most chapters contain at least one expert audio clip. In addition, each chapter of the study guide opens with an audio introduction by Dr. Daniel Czech, the mentor throughout the online study guide.

Video clips provide students with a realistic look at how sport psychology consultants interact and communicate with athletes to improve athletic experiences. In these video clips, students will watch as Dr. Czech interacts with a basketball player who is having trouble shooting free throws and a softball team that isn''t connecting on or off the field. These videos offer an opportunity for students to peer into the "real world" of a practicing sport psychology consultant.

These audio and video clips help students understand the research and practice of sport psychology in today''s society. In addition to the inclusion of the new online study guide for students, the instructor ancillaries have also been improved. Updates have been made to the presentation package containing more than 900 PowerPoint slides, the test bank of more than 800 questions, and the instructor guide.

Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Fourth Edition provides a powerful learning tool for understanding human behavior in sport and exercise settings. This new edition continues to ensure that future researchers and practitioners in the field are well equipped and enthused about the possibilities and challenges they will encounter.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• To the Instructor
• To the Student
• Acknowledgments
• Part I Beginning Your Journey
• Chapter 1 Welcome to Sport and Exercise Psychology
• Defining Sport and Exercise Psychology
• Specializing in Sport Psychology
• Distinguishing Between Two Specialties
• Reviewing the History of Sport and Exercise Psychology
• Focusing on Sport and Exercise Psychology Around the World
• Bridging Science and Practice
• Choosing From Many Sport and Exercise Psychology Orientations
• Understanding Present and Future Trends
• Part II Learning About Participants
• Chapter 2 Personality and Sport
• Defining Personality
• Understanding Personality Structure
• Studying Personality from Five Viewpoints
• Measuring Personality
• Using Psychological Measures
• Focusing on Personality Research
• Examining Cognitive Strategies and Success
• Identifying Your Role in Understanding Personality
• Chapter 3 Motivation
• Defining Motivation
• Reviewing Three Approaches to Motivation
• Building Motivation With Five Guidelines
• Developing a Realistic View of Motivation
• Understanding Achievement Motivation and Competitiveness
• Identifying Four Theories of Achievement Motivation
• Developing Achievement Motivation and Competitiveness
• Using Achievement Motivation in Professional Practice
• Chapter 4 Arousal, Stress, and Anxiety
• Defining Arousal and Anxiety
• Measuring Arousal and Anxiety
• Defining Stress and Understanding the Stress Process
• Identifying Sources of Stress and Anxiety
• Connecting Arousal and Anxiety to Performance
• Applying Knowledge to Professional Practice
• Part III Understanding Sport and Exercise Environments
• Chapter 5 Competition and Cooperation
• Defining Competition and Cooperation
• Viewing Competition As a Process
• Reviewing Studies of Competition and Cooperation
• Determining Whether Competition Is Good or Bad
• Enhancing Cooperation
• Chapter 6 Feedback, Reinforcement, and Intrinsic Motivation
• Principles of Reinforcement
• Approaches to Influencing Behavior
• Guidelines for Using Positive Reinforcement
• Guidelines to Using Punishment
• Behavior Modification in Sport
• Intrinsic Motivation and Extrinsic Rewards
• Cognitive Evaluation Theory
• How Extrinsic Rewards Affect Intrinsic Motivation in Sport
• Strategies for Increasing Intrinsic Motivation
• Flow-A Special Case of Intrinsic Motivation
• Part IV Focusing on Group Processes
• Chapter 7 Group and Team Dynamics
• Recognizing the Difference Between Groups and Teams
• Identifying Three Theories of Group Development
• Understanding Group Structure
• Creating an Effective Team Climate
• Maximizing Individual Performance in Team Sports
• Chapter 8 Group Cohesion
• Definition of Cohesion
• Conceptual Model of Cohesion
• Tools for Measuring Cohesion
• Relationship Between Cohesion and Performance
• Other Factors Associated With Cohesion
• Strategies for Enhancing Cohesion
• Guidelines for Building Team Cohesion
• Chapter 9 Leadership
• Definition of Leadership
• Approaches to Studying Leadership
• Sport-Oriented Interactional Approaches to Leadership
• Research on the Multidimensional Model of Sport Leadership
• Four Components of Effective Leadership
• Chapter 10 Communication
• Understanding the Communication Process
• Sending Messages Effectively
• Receiving Messages Effectively
• Recognizing Breakdowns in Communication
• Improving Communication
• Dealing With Confrontation
• Delivering Constructive Criticism
• Part V Improving Performance
• Chapter 11 Introduction to Psychological Skills Training
• What Psychological Skills Training Entails
• Why PST Is Important
• Why Sport and Exercise Participants Neglect PST
• Myths About PST
• PST Knowledge Base
• PST Effectiveness
• Three Phases of PST Programs
• Self-Regulation: The Ultimate Goal of PST
• Who Should Conduct PST Programs
• When to Implement a PST Program
• PST Program Development
• Common Problems in Implementing PST Programs
• Chapter 12 Arousal Regulation
• Increasing Self-Awareness of Arousal
• Using Anxiety Reduction Techniques
• Exploring the Matching Hypothesis
• Coping With Adversity
• Using Arousal-Inducing Techniques
• Chapter 13 Imagery
• What Imagery Is
• Evidence of Imagery's Effectiveness
• Imagery in Sport: Where, What, When, and Why
• Factors Affecting the Effectiveness of Imagery
• How Imagery Works
• Uses of Imagery
• Keys to Effective Imagery
• How to Develop an Imagery Training Program
• When to Use Imagery
• Chapter 14 Self-Confidence
• Defining Self-Confidence
• Understanding How Expectations Influence Performance
• Examining Self-Efficacy Theory
• Assessing Self-Confidence
• Building Self-Confidence
• Chapter 15 Goal Setting
• Definition of Goals
• Effectiveness of Goal Setting
• Principles of Goal Setting
• Development of Group Goals
• Design of a Goal-Setting System
• Common Problems in Goal Setting
• Chapter 16 Concentration
• Defining Concentration
• Explaining Attentional Focus: Three Processes
• Connecting Concentration to Optimal Performance
• Identifying Types of Attentional Focus
• Recognizing Attentional Problems
• Using Self-Talk to Enhance Concentration
• Assessing Attentional Skills
• Improving Concentration
• Part VI Enhancing Health and Well-Being
• Chapter 17 Exercise and Psychological Well-Being
• Reducing Anxiety and Depression With Exercise
• Enhancing Mood With Exercise
• Understanding Exercise's Effect on Psychological Well-Being
• Changing Personality and Cognitive Functioning With Exercise
• Enhancing Quality of Life With Exercise
• Examining the Runner's High
• Using Exercise As an Adjunct to Therapy
• Chapter 18 Exercise Behavior and Adherence
• Reasons to Exercise
• Reasons for Not Exercising
• Problem of Exercise Adherence
• Theories and Models of Exercise Behavior
• Determinants of Exercise Adherence
• Settings for Exercise Interventions
• Strategies for Enhancing Adherence to Exercise
• Guidelines for Improving Exercise Adherence
• Chapter 19 Athletic Injuries and Psychology
• Psychological Factors in Athletic Injuries
• How Injuries Happen
• Relationship Between Stress and Injury
• Psychological Reactions to Exercise and Athletic Injuries
• Role of Sport Psychology in Injury Rehabilitation
• Chapter 20 Addictive and Unhealthy Behaviors
• Eating Disorders
• Substance Abuse
• Addiction to Exercise
• Compulsive Gambling: An Odds-On Favorite for Trouble
• Chapter 21 Burnout and Overtraining
• Definitions of Overtraining, Staleness, and Burnout
• Frequency of Overtraining, Staleness, and Burnout
• Models of Burnout
• Factors Leading to Athlete Overtraining and Burnout
• Symptoms of Overtraining and Burnout
• Ways to Measure Burnout
• Burnout in Sport Professionals
• Treatment and Prevention of Burnout
• Part VII Facilitating Psychological Development Through Sport
• Chapter 22 Children and Sport Psychology
• Importance of Studying the Psychology of Young Athletes
• Children's Reasons for Participation and Nonparticipation
• Role of Friends in Youth Sport
• Stress and Burnout in Children's Competitive Sport
• Effective Coaching Practices for Young Athletes
• Role of Parents
• Chapter 23 Aggression in Sport
• Defining Aggression
• Understanding the Causes of Aggression
• Examining Aggression in Sport: Special Considerations
• Applying Knowledge to Professional Practice
• Chapter 24 Character Development and Good Sporting Behavior
• Defining Character, Fair Play, and Good Sporting Behavior
• Developing Character and Good Sporting Behavior: Three Approaches
• Examining Moral Development Research
• Understanding Connection Between Moral Reasoning and Moral Behavior
• Studying Connection Between Character Development and Physical Activity
• Guiding Practice in Character Development
• Continuing Your Journey
• References
• Index
• About the Authors

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Robert S. Weinberg, PhD, is a professor in physical education, health, and sport studies at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Weinberg has nearly 30 years of experience in both the scholarly and applied aspects of sport psychology. He has written numerous research articles, including more than 130 refereed articles in scholarly journals, as well as books, book chapters, and applied articles for coaches, athletes, and exercisers.

Weinberg was voted one of the top 10 sport psychologists in North America by his peers. He is past president of the North American Society for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) and of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP). He is a certified AAASP consultant and is listed on the Sport Psychology Registry for the U.S. Olympic Committee and works with athletes in these roles.

Weinberg was named a Distinguished Scholar in Sport Psychology at Miami University in 2005. In addition, he was the editor of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology and voted outstanding faculty member in the School of Education and Allied Professions at Miami University in 1998. In his leisure time, he enjoys tennis, traveling, and gardening.

Daniel Gould, PhD, is the director for the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports and professor in the department of kinesiology at Michigan State University. He has taught sport psychology for more than 25 years. An active researcher, Gould was the founding coeditor of The Sport Psychologist and has published more than 100 articles on sport psychology. He is best known for conducting applied research that links research and practice.

Gould was voted one of the top 10 sport psychology specialists in North America and is internationally known, having presented his work in more than 20 countries. When on the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he received the university's coveted Alumni-Teaching Excellence Award, an all-campus teaching honor. He is an Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP) certified consultant and member of the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry.

Gould is the former president of AAASP and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Sport Psychology Academy. In addition to teaching sport psychology, he is extensively involved in coaching education from youth sports to Olympic competition. He also serves as mental skills training consultant for professional, Olympic, and world-class athletes, and in recent years he has served as an executive coach for business leaders interested in enhancing their organizations' performance.

Dan lives in Okemos, Michigan, with his wife, Deb. He is a proud father of two sons, Kevin and Brian. In his leisure time, he enjoys swimming, doing fitness activities, and spending time with his family.