The Psychology of Performance: Examining the Scientist-Practitioner Approach to "Being the Best"

Instructor: Professor Melissa W. O'Neill
                Department of Psychology

This course will focus on the research literature in the area of Sport Psychology and apply this knowledge to tasks requiring performance, i.e., music, dance, sport, theater. Students will be required to work in teams to consult with coaches or professors to identify specific target areas. These teams will then be responsible to find answers to these performance questions in empirical data presented in psychology literature. Each team will have a practical question, identified by the client, to answer through a review of scientific literature. The class will work together to create a meaningful summary document of relevant research in each of these identified areas. The team will then present the information to the client (coach/professor) as a culminating project.