PSY 433 - Seminar in Psychology of Sports

Course Units: 1.0

In this seminar, we’ll explore a variety of ways in which psychology and sports intersect. First, we’ll discuss the psychology of the athlete: Which psychological mechanisms and traits predict success in competition? Next, we’ll discuss the psychology of the fan: Why are we so emotionally impacted when our team wins or loses? Finally, we’ll discuss the psychology of sports marketing: How do advertisers and marketers use sports to get us to buy their stuff? Readings will primarily consist of peer-reviewed journal articles from the fields of social psychology, cognitive psychology, sports psychology, marketing, and advertising. The term will conclude with each student creating a novel hypothesis relating to the psychology of sports, designing a rigorous study with which one might empirically test that hypothesis, and creating mock data that supports that hypothesis. Prerequisite(s): PSY 300 or permission on instructor. CC: WS