Sport, Health, and Human Performance SIG
Sport, Health, and Human Performance SIGSport, Health, and Human Performance SIG
Affiliated 2014
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Contact Information
David Udelf, USA
Manabu Yoshimoto, Japan
SIG Officers
Manabu Yoshimoto: Internal operations coordinator
Kelly Dekker: Member representative and master of ceremonies
Jeffrey Krepps: Member representative and czar of resources
Nicholas Arancibia Levit: Student representative
David Udelf: Public relations and continuing education
SIG Mission/Objectives
The mission of the Sport, Health, and Human Performance SIG is to promote the practice and research of contextually supported interventions within populations seeking higher levels of performance. This sport, health, and human performance SIG will meet these goals by creating an open, collegial, and supportive environment for all members. This SIG seeks to contribute to the growing body of work in the area of contextual behavior sciences to human performance and healthy living. The SIG encourages its members to creatively apply contextual sciences to their work, trainings, clinical practice, and research.
Description of SIG membership
Researchers and clinicians interested in the investigating and application of both basic and applied third wave approaches to sports, health, and performance.
General Interest Area to be Specifically Addressed by SIG
The general interest for this SIG is to foster a community that promotes the dissemination and collaborative evaluation of contextually based research and practice in the area of sport, health, and human performance.
SIG Activities
To accomplish this mission, this SIG will promote the utilization and research of ACT through the following activities:
- Sport, Health, and Human Performance SIG listserv
- Sport, Health, and Human Performance Monthly Network meetings
- Sport, Health, and Human Performance SIG meetings at ACBS Annual World Conferenc
- Sport, Health, and Performance SIG Resources webpage
Sport, Health, and Human Performance SIG Resources
Sport, Health, and Human Performance SIG ResourcesSport, Health, and Human Performance SIG Welcome Letter (November 2021)
Recordings for monthly meetings
2025
- February
- May
2024
- January
- Roundtable Discussion - "Overcoming Sports Failures" by David Udelf PsyD
- passcode: 2JX2D9^H
- February
- March
- April
- "ACT for Perfectionistic Athletes" with Erin Ayala, PhD
- passcode: %tj71%R6
- Slides
- May
- "THE SEPARATOR" with Ben Freakley, EdD
- passcode: 0Fn0qtB^
- June
Assessment Measures
JCBS Articles
- Gervis, M., & Goldman, A. (2020). The Flourishing Footballers programme: Using psycho-education to develop resilience through ACT. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18, 146-151.
- Manchón, J., Quiles, M. J., León, E. M., & López-Roig, S. (2020). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on physical activity: A systematic review. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 17, 135-143.
- Wang, Y., Tarbox, J., Chastain, A.N., Cameron, M.J. (2020) The effects of bilingual Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) on exercise in bilingual international university students. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 18, 1-8.
- Kucharski, B., Arend Strating, M., Ahluwalia Cameron, A., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2018). Complexity of emotion regulation strategies in changing contexts: A study of varsity athletes. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 10, 85-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.09.002
- Jackson, M., Williams, W., Hayes, S., Humphreys, T., Gauthier, B., & Westwood, R. (2016). Whatever gets your heart pumping: the impact of implicitly selected reinforcer-focused statements on exercise intensity. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 5(1), 48-57.
Systematic Reviews
- Ptáček, M., Lugo, R.G., Steptoe, K., & Stefan Sütterlin, S. (in press 2023). Effectiveness of the mindfulness–acceptance–commitment approach: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2023.2180070
- Ekelund, R., Holmström, S., Gustafsson, H., Ivarsson, A., Lundqvist, C., & Stenling, A. (2023; in press). Interventions for improving mental health in athletes: a scoping review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/1750984X.2023.2258383
- Ben Salha, M. & Fournier, J. (2022). Les interventions basées sur la pleine conscience et l’acceptation en sport : une revue de la littérature. Staps, 137, 99-119. DOI: 10.3917/sta.pr1.0044
- Mayoral, R. P., Rodríguez-Martínez, D. y León-Zarceño, E. M. (2022). Programas de Intervención Psicológica con atletas para la mejora del rendimiento: una revisión actual [Psychological Intervention Programs with Athletes for Performance Development: A Current Review]. Revista de Psicología Aplicada al Deporte y el Ejercicio Físico, 7(1), Artículo e2. DOI: 10.5093/rpadef2022a6
- Pears, S. & Sutton, S. (2021). Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) interventions for promoting physical activity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Review, 15(1), 159-184, DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2020.1727759
- Manchón, J., Quiles, M. J., León, E. M., & López-Roig, S. (2020). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy on physical activity: A systematic review. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science, 17, 135-143.
- Noetel, Michael & Ciarrochi, Joseph & Van Zanden, Brooke & Lonsdale, Chris. (2017). Mindfulness and acceptance approaches to sporting performance enhancement: a systematic review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 12. 1-37. DOI: 10.1080/1750984X.2017.1387803.
- Fukamachi, H., Arai, H., Ishii, K. & Oka, K. (2017) Effectiveness of Acceptance and Mindfulness Based Interventions for Enhancement of Sport Performance: A Systematic Review. Japanese Journal of Behavior Therapy, 43(1), 61-69. DOI: 10.24468/jjbt.15-153
- Watson, D. R., Hill, A. P., Madigan, D. J., & Donachie, T. C. (2023 in press). Effectiveness of an online acceptance and commitment therapy programme for perfectionism in soccer players: A randomized control trial. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. DOI: 10.1037/spy0000333
- Sabzevari, F., Samadi, H., Ayatizadeh, F., & Machado, S. (2023). Effectiveness of Mindfulness-acceptance-commitment based approach for Rumination, Cognitive Flexibility and Sports Performance of Elite Players of Beach Soccer: A Randomized Controlled Trial with 2-months Follow-up. Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health, 19(1). DOI: 10.2174/17450179-v19-e230419-2022-33
- Mohebi, M., Sadeghi-Bahmani, D., Zarei, S., Gharayagh Zandi, H., & Brand, S. (2022). Examining the Effects of Mindfulness–Acceptance–Commitment Training on Self-Compassion and Grit among Elite Female Athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(1), 134. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010134
- Lundgren, T., Reinebo, G., Fröjmark, M. J., et al. (2021). Acceptance and Commitment Training for ice hockey players: A randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 3097. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.685260
- Lundgren, T., Reinebo, G., Näslund, M., & Parling, T. (2020). Acceptance and commitment training to promote psychological flexibility in ice hockey performance: A controlled group feasibility study. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 14(2), 170-181. DOI: 10.1123/jcsp.2018-0081
- Bu, D., Chung, P., Zhang, C., & Liu, J. (2020). The effect of mindfulness training on mental health in Chinese elite badminton players: A randomized controlled trial. Chinese Journal of Sports Medicine, 39(12), 944-952.
- Josefsson, T., Ivarsson, A., Gustafsson, H., Stenling, A., Lindwall, M., Tornberg, & Böröy, J. (2019). Effects of mindfulness-acceptance-commitment (MAC) on sport-specific dispositional mindfulness, emotion regulation, and self-rated athletic performance in a multiple-sport population: An RCT study. Mindfulness, 10(8), 1518-1529.
- Rezapour Mirsaleh, Y., Esmaeelbeigi, M., & Salari, H. (2019). Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on the competitive-state anxiety of warfare victims who are professional athletes. Iranian Journal of War and Public Health, 11(2), 73-78.
- Li, P., Bai, S., & Zhang, R. (2019). Effects of acceptance and commitment therapy on mental health of college students. Advances in Psychology, 9(9), 1613-1619. DOI: 10.12677/AP.2019.99196
- Dehghani, M., Saf, A. D., Vosoughi, A., Tebbenouri, G., & Zarnagh, H. G. (2018). Effectiveness of the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach on athletic performance and sports competition anxiety: a randomized clinical trial. Electronic Physician, 10(5), 6749-6755.
- Gross, M., Moore, Z.E., Gardner, F.L., Wolanin, A.T., Pess, R., Marks, D.R. (2018) An empirical examination comparing the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment approach and Psychological Skills Training for the mental health and sport performance of female student athletes, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16:4, 431-451, DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2016.1250802
- Shi, Y., Luo, Z., & Hong, X.-B. (2018). Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment Approach (MAC) in Chinese Basketball Training for Improving Performance of Free Throw Rate. Hubei Sports Science, 03, 219-222. Retrieved from: https://oversea.cnki.net/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx?dbcode=CJFD&dbname=CJFDLAST2018&filename=HYKJ201803009&v
- Xu, S., Li, J., Fan, W., & Zhang, J. (2018). Effect of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy on the mental health of the PE university students. Sport Science Research, 3, 92-98+104.
Publications about Sports Performance
- Ruiz, F.J., Luciano, C., & Suárez-Falcón, J.C. (2023). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for improving the performance of chess players suffering from anxiety disorders. International Journal of Psychology & Psychological Therapy, 23(2), 207-220. Retrieved from https://www.ijpsy.com/volumen23/num2/642.html
- Koh Boon Yau, E., Pang Tze Ping, N. & Kuan, G. (2021) The Use of Mindfulness Acceptance Commitment (MAC) Approach For Malaysian Elite Triathletes. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 12(4), 271-279. https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2021.1920522
- Noetel, M., Ciarrochi, J., Sahdra, B., & Lonsdale, C. (2019). Using genetic algorithms to abbreviate the Mindfulness Inventory for Sport: A substantive-methodological synthesis. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 45. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2019.101545
- Oh Won Seok, kim hyosik (2019) A Case Study on Sports Psychological Consultation Using Acceptance Commitment Training. Korea Sport Society한국스포츠학회한국스포츠학회 제17권 제4호, 1,497 - 1,509.
- Su, N. & Si, G. & Zhang, C.-Q. (2019). Mindfulness and acceptance-based training for Chinese athletes: The mindfulness-acceptance-insight-commitment (MAIC) program. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 10(4), 255-263, DOI: 10.1080/21520704.2018.1557772
- Lundgren T., Reinebo G., Löf, P. O., Näslund, M., Svartvadet P., & Parling T. (2018). The Values, Acceptance, and Mindfulness Scale for Ice Hockey: A Psychometric Evaluation. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01794
- Kaufman, K. A., Glass, C. R., & Pineau, T. R. (2018). Mindful sport performance enhancement: Mental training for athletes and coaches. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- Carraça, B., Serpa, S., Rosado, A., & Palmi, J. (2018). The Mindfulness – Based Soccer Program (MBSoccerP): Effects on Elite Athletes. Cuadernos de Psicología del Deporte, 18 (3), 62- 85
- Shortway, K. M., Wolanin, A., Block-Lerner, J., & Marks, D. (2018). Acceptance and commitment therapy for injured athletes: development and preliminary feasibility of the return to ACTion protocol. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 12, 4–26.
- Bisagni, D., Bisagni, M., & Vaccaro, M. (2018). Mindfulness e flessibilità psicologica nella pratica sportiva: validazione della versione italiana della State Mindfulness Scale for Physical Activity (SMS-PA) e della versione per lo sport dell’Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II) [Mindfulness and psychological flexibility in sport practice: Validation of the italian version of the SMS-PA and the sports version of the AAQ-II]. Psicoterapia cognitiva e comportamentale, 24(2), 153-173.
- Chang, W.H., Chi, L., Lin, SH. et al. (2017). Psychometric Properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire – II for Taiwanese College Students and Elite Athletes. Curr Psychol, 36:147–156.
- Chang, Duk-Sun(한국체육대학교), Chung, Young-Hee(한국체육대학교) (2017) The Effects of Acceptance Writing for Bowling Players on Stress and Values of Life. Journal of Sport and Leisure Studies, Vol.67, 355 - 371. DOI : 10.51979/KSSLS.2017.02.67.355
- Gross, M., Moore, Z. E., Gardner, F. L., Wolanin, A. T., Pess, R., & Marks, D. R. (2016). An empirical examination comparing the mindfulness-acceptance-commitment approach and psychological skills training for the mental health and sport performance of female student athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1-21.
- Ivanova, E., Jensen, D., Cassoff, J., Gu, F., & Knäuper, B. (2015). Acceptance and commitment therapy improves exercise tolerance in sedentary women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 47(6), 1251-1258. DOI: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000000536
- Andreas Ivarsson, Urban Johnson, Mark B. Andersen, Johan Fallby & Mats Altemyr (2015) It Pays to Pay Attention: A Mindfulness-Based Program for Injury Prevention With Soccer Players, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 27:3, 319-334, DOI: 10.1080/10413200.2015.1008072
- Henriksen, K. (2015) Sport psychology at the Olympics: The case of a Danish sailing crew in a head wind, International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13:1, 43-55, DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2014.944554
- Zhang, C. Q., Chung, P. K., & Si, G. (2015). Assessing acceptance in mindfulness with direct-worded items: The development and initial validation of the athlete mindfulness questionnaire. Journal of Sport and Health Science.
- Baltzell, A., & Akhtar, V. L. (2014). Mindfulness Meditation Training for Sport (MMTS) intervention: Impact of MMTS with Division I female athletes. The Journal of Happiness and Well-being, 2(2), 160-173.
- Chun-Qing Zhang, Pak-Kwong Chung, Gangyan Si & Jing Dong Liu (2014). Psychometric Properties of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire–II for Chinese College Students and Elite Chinese Athletes. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 47(4), 256-270. DOI: 10.1177/0748175614538064
- Baranoff, J. & Hanrahan, S. & Connor, J. (2014). The roles of acceptance and catastrophizing in rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 18. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsams.2014.04.002.
- Gardner, F. L., & Moore, Z. E. (2012). Mindfulness and acceptance models in sport psychology: A decade of basic and applied scientific advancements. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, 53(4), 309-318.
- Ruiz, F. & Luciano, C. (2012). Improving International-Level Chess Players’ Performance with an Acceptance-Based Protocol: Preliminary Findings. The Psychological record. 10.1007/BF03395813.
- Mahoney, J., & Hanrahan, S. J. (2011). A brief educational intervention using acceptance and commitment therapy: four injured athletes’ experiences. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 5, 252–273. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.5.3.252.
- Wolanin, A. T. & Schwanhausser, L. A. (2010) Psychological functioning as a moderator of the MAC approach to performance enhancement. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 4, 312–322. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.4.4.312
- Hasker, S. M. (2010). Evaluation of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach for enhancing athletic performance. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA.
- Schwanhausser, L. (2009). Application of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) protocol with an adolescent springboard diver. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 3(4), 377–395.
- Lutkenhouse, J. M. (2007). The case of Jenny: A freshman collegiate athlete experiencing performance dysfunction. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 1(2), 166–180. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.1.2.166
- Gardner, F. L. & Moore, Z.E. (2004). A mindfulness-acceptance-commitment based approach to athletic performance enhancement: Theoretical considerations. Behavior Therapy, 35, 707-724.
Publications about Music Performance
- Gómez-López, B. & Sánchez-Cabrero, R. (2023). Current Trends in Music Performance Anxiety Intervention. Behavioral Sciences, 13(9), 720. DOI: 10.3390/bs13090720
- Juncos, D. & de Paiva e Pona, E. (2022). ACT for Musicians A Guide for Using Acceptance and Commitment Training to Enhance Performance, Overcome Performance Anxiety, and Improve Well-Being. Universal-Publishers.
- Clarke, L. K., Osborne, M. S., & Baranoff, J. A. (2020). Examining a Group Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Intervention for Music Performance Anxiety in Student Vocalists. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 1127. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01127
- Shaw, T. A., Juncos, D. G., & Winter, D. (2020). Piloting a New Model for Treating Music Performance Anxiety: Training a Singing Teacher to Use Acceptance and Commitment Coaching With a Student. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 882. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00882
- Sigurðardóttir, A.A. (2020). The Role of Self-Compassion in Music Performance Anxiety. Thesis. Reykjavík University, Reykjavík, Iceland.
- Juncos, David & de Paiva e Pona, Elvire. (2018). Acceptance and commitment therapy as a clinical anxiety treatment and performance enhancement program for musicians: Towards an evidence-based practice model within performance psychology. Music & Science, 1, 205920431774880. DOI: 10.1177/2059204317748807.
- Juncos, D. G., Heinrichs, G. A., Towle, P., Duffy, K., Grand, S. M., Morgan, M. C., Smith, J. D., & Kalkus, E. (2017). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the Treatment of Music Performance Anxiety: A Pilot Study with Student Vocalists. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 986. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00986
Books
- White. R.G., Bethell, A., Charnock, L., Leckey S., Penpraza, V. (2021). Acceptance and commitment approaches for athletes’ wellbeing and performance: The flexible mind. Palgrave Macmillan.
- James Hegarty, Christoph Huelsmann (2020) ACT IN SPORT: Improve Performance through Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Commitment.
- Kaufman, K. A., Glass, C. R., & Pineau, T. R. (2018). Mindful sport performance enhancement: Mental training for athletes and coaches. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- Henriksen, K., Diment, G., Hansen, J., & Larsen, C. H. (2016). Using Acceptance and Commitment Training in a Team Sport Leading Up To, During, and Following the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. In Cremades, J. G., & Tashman, L. S. (Eds.). Global practices and training in applied
sport, exercise, and performance psychology: A case study approach. (pp. 69-78). NY: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315624969 - The Winner's Mind: Strengthening Mental Skills in Athletes
- The Psychology of Enhancing Human Performance: The Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment Approach
Resources for Clinicians
Videos
- ACT in Sports: Enhancing Performance and Measuring Sport-Related Psychological Flexibility - Presented at ACBS World Conference 13, Berlin, Germany, 2015
- Acceptance and commitment Therapy for Sport by Stephen Renwick, MSc, BSc
Podcasts
- Toughness Podcast: April 5, 2021 - "Flexibility Comes First: From Panic Disorders To Player Development" Paddy Steinfort talks with Steven Hayes and Ben Freakley. They dig into the concept of psychological flexibility. Drawing on examples from military, business and sport they talk about how it applies with such success across so many domains, and break down the six skills that are vital for any individuals dealing with pressure or stress.
- The Sport Psych Show: February 22, 2021 - "#130 Dr James Hegarty - ACT in Sport: Improve Performance through Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Commitment"
- Sports Psychology Hour Podcast: March 29, 2020 - Dr. Jacobs Talks to Sport Psychology Consultant Stephen Renwick in England
- Psychologists Off the Clock: March 8, 2017 - Sports Psychology with Elizabeth Boyer
Miscellaneous
- Psychology Today: Overcoming Sports Failures: Achieve optimal performance despite mistakes by staying in the moment, July 31, 2023
- Psychology Today: How ACT Is Revolutionizing Sport Psychology, March 13, 2022
- Psychology Today: How My Son’s Black Belt Reveals the Biggest Scientific Error, March 15, 2021
- Sports Illustrated: Paddy Steinfort and the Craft of Mental Performance Coaching, October 2, 2020
Posters
- Assessing Psychological Flexibility in University Musicians: Psychometric Properties of the Musician’s Acceptance and Action Questionnaire. Poster Presented at ACBS World Conference 20 (2022)
- The relationship between psychological flexibility and psychological distress in student-athletes in the US during COVID. Poster presented at ACBS World Conference 19 (2021)
- Runners’ response to manipulated split time feedback varies idiosyncratically. Differences in response patterns may guide intervention choice. Poster presented at ACBS World Conference 19 (2021)
- Intervention Effect of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction training on China National Skeleton Team Athletes. Poster presented at ACBS World Conference 18 (2020)
- Integrating ACT and Behavior Analytic practices into an athletic coaching business presented at ACBS World Conference 16 (2018)
- Training program based on ACT & Mindfulness to improve well-being and performance in kickboxing fighters presented at ACBS World Conference 15 (2017)
ACBS Members' Blogs