WIM
NOTEBAERT
RESEARCH
LAB
Cognitive Psychology and Decision Making in Sports
at Ghent University
Cognitive Sport Psychology: unlocking new potential
By focusing on recent advances in cognitive (neuro) psychology, there is vast potential to enrich sport psychology. For example, error monitoring is a central topic in contemporary cognitive psychology. Decades of research have explored how people adapt behaviour after making errors. A well-established finding is that errors tend to prompt a more cautious approach in subsequent actions. Translating these insights into sports contexts can enhance crucial in-game elements, such as shot selection and risk assessment. Compared to other established areas like motivational or educational sport psychology, cognitive sport psychology remains relatively undeveloped. This emerging field invites exploration into additional cognitive mechanisms that influence athletic performance. Recent theoretical models and frameworks from cognitive psychology can deepen our understanding of decision-making processes in sports, paving the way for future innovations.
RESEARCH & DISCOVERIES
Primary Areas of Interest
DECISION MAKING INTERVENTION
TRAINING ELITE SPORTERS
On the basis of formal decision making models and neural networks we train elite athletes in gaining more control in the decision making process and ultimately in making better decisions.