Superstitious rituals are defined as unusual, repetitive, rigid behaviour that is perceived to have a positive effect by the actor, whereas in reality there is no causal link between the behaviour and the outcome of an event (Womack, 1992). B. F. Skinner’s famous ‘Hungry Pidgeon’ experiment helps explain why sports people develop superstitions through operant […]
With the Cricket World Cup fast approaching it seems a good time to look into the psychological aspects the game. With such a focus recently on mental health, people have been referring back to Jonathon Trott’s unfortunate exit of the Ashes 13/14, with the man himself referring to ‘Burnout’ as a major factor. Cricket is […]
Ex-England cricket batsman Kevin Pietersen (KP) is in the limelight again as Paul Downton, the managing director of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) talks about the reasons behind KP’s early departure from international cricket. KP was controversially axed from the England side following the team’s 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia earlier this […]
You begin your journey from the pavilion to the middle. Maybe you’re a club cricketer, you’ve been waiting all week to play your favourite sport, been standing in the field all afternoon watching the bowlers do their thing, waiting for the opportunity to do yours. Maybe you’re an international cricketer, you’re playing in a test […]
The turnaround in fortunes of the Australian cricket team has been a remarkable story as Darren Lehmann’s men went from perennial losers to Ashes winners in the space of six months. The likes of Mitchell Johnson and Brad Haddin have deservedly taken the accolades for the part they played in regaining the famous Ashes urn […]
To control a successful catching action it is essential cricketers obtain relevant information about the environment. The catcher must predict the direction in which the ball will travel in order to adapt general gross motor movements and ultimately adjust the fine alterations as the ball approaches grasping distance (Savelsberg, Whiting, Pijpers & van Saantvoord, 1993). […]
Depression is one of the most common mental illnesses worldwide and in recent years the affirmation of depression has increased within the elite athlete population. Despite the alarmingly large amount of athletes acknowledging their depression, a lot remains unknown about their true experiences and why it occurs. Robert Enke’s suicide, Kelly Holmes act of self-harming, […]