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Executive functions (EF) are assumed to play a key role in sports performance. However, few studies have explored how the core components of EF, namely inhibition, updating and shifting, relate to level of competition in ice hockey. General measures of these components were collected, via computerized tests, on male ice hockey players (n = 39) playing at different competitive levels across the Swedish series system. Hockey-specific stimuli were also incorporated into tests of executive functioning to investigate whether information processing was influenced by familiarity with domain-specific content. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed significant associations between higher competitive level and measures of inhibitoriy control and updating ability, but not with shifting ability. It warrants noting that superior updating performance was related to level of competition only when hockey-specific stimuli were used. Results also showed overall performance differences between general and hockey-adapted tests, as well as associations among EF components, revealing patterns consistent with both shared and distinct variance. These findings indicate that stimulus manipulation can affect task difficulty and sensitivity, underscoring the importance of stimulus selection when adapting general EF tests. While preliminary and cross-sectional, the results suggest that inhibition and updating may be key targets for future longitudinal and sport-specific EF research, with the potential to enhance ecological validity and inform cognitive training in ice hockey.

Performing under time pressure is critical, yet limited research has examined how psychophysiological and affective factors influence temporal estimation in sport competition. This study investigated the influence of psychophysiological exertion, fatigue, and affect on time perception during a simulated biathlon competition. Thirty-two biathletes (14 men, 18 women; age M = 21.3, SD = 3.9 y) completed five laps of roller-skiing separated by four shooting rounds (prone–standing–prone–standing). Prospective Time Production (PTP) and Prospective Verbal Estimation (PVE) were assessed alongside heart rate, perceived exertion, fatigue, and affective valence. Participants produced shorter intervals than the PTP target duration (29 s) post-competition (p < .001, d = 0.85), indicating time was perceived to pass faster relative to chronometric time under cumulative psychophysiological load. PVE accuracy differed by shooting position (p < .001, η2 = .22), with time in prone perceived shorter than standing. Within-participant analyses showed higher heart rate, exertion, fatigue, and negative affect predicted greater temporal distortions during roller-skiing and shooting. These findings indicate that time perception in biathlon is dynamically shaped by interactions between physiological strain, affect, and task-specific attentional demands. Applied implications highlight integrating time perception calibration and affect regulation into pressure-training to improve pacing, shooting rhythm, and performance consistency.

Using interpersonal skills is an important part of humane and effective investigative interviewing for police. Training police in these skills varies in its contents and amount between countries and police forces. This review explores how interpersonal skills are defined and assessed in the context of interview training for police. A systematic evaluation resulted in 26 studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The most trained interpersonal skills were rapport (n = 18 studies), and active listening (n = 2 studies). Studies also evaluated training environments (n = 3 studies), and adherence to or knowledge of specific interviewing protocols (e.g. PEACE, n = 1; Whole Story framework, n = 1, procedural justice, n = 1). The reported effects of training vary with half of the included studies (n = 13) reporting positive effects while the other half (n = 13) reported limited or no effects. We discuss how conceptual definitions and study designs affect assessment of training outcomes. Aspects of training assessments (e.g. use of mock-interviews, self-reports, and lack of long-term follow-ups in the field) are discussed. We also discuss the need for more systematic research on training interpersonal skills for interviewing. Our findings should guide and inform further research on the topic.

Coach education notes the importance of effective transitions between life and sport, yet research evidence supporting coaches to make such transitions is lacking. The present study used a mixed-methods design to explore 41 highly qualified coaches’ perceptions of how responsibilities in life beyond sport spill over to coaching practice. Additionally, we examined coaches’ transitions between roles in life and sport and the implications for their health and coaching practice. Coaches completed questionnaires measuring perceived stress and emotion regulation, and a writing task about how roles outside of sport impacted their coaching practice. Linguistic analyses using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software revealed that coaches with lower levels of perceived stress expressed more positive emotions when writing about the influence of life commitments on their coaching practice. The findings also suggest that coaches’ perceptions of the coaching process can be both positively and negatively influenced by life commitments spilling over into sport. Further, coaches reported challenges with the process of undertaking micro role transitions and highlighted implications for their mental health, coaching effectiveness, and relationships in both sport and life. Integrating organizational and sport psychology research, we offer guidance to optimize coaches’ transitions between roles to promote health and optimal performance.

This experimental study examined the influence of smartphones on affective responses and time perception in exercise. Twenty-four physically active participants (16 females, 8 males; Mage = 24.40, SD = 4.35) completed randomised conditions alternating between hard intensity cycling and seated rest whilst their smartphone was: a) used to view videos; b) present but not viewed; or c) out of sight. In each condition, participants produced a target amount of time (i.e., 37s) during the trial and estimated the trial’s duration upon completion (i.e., 330s). Participants’ feeling state, perceived exertion, and heart rate were recorded at each measurement of time perception during and following each trial. One-sample t-tests and repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that smartphones significantly affected participants’ perception of time during and following intervals of cycling and rest. Participants perceived more time had passed than chronometric time during cycling; this effect was most significant when viewing their smartphone. Participants estimated that the duration of each trial was less than actual chronometric time, although they were more accurate when they viewed their smartphone during the trial. Participants reported the greatest positive affect when viewing their smartphone, although it was not associated with time estimation accuracy. These findings highlight that highly trained exercisers overestimate the passage of time during physical activity, yet upon completion, they perceive they exercised for a shorter amount of time than reality. Smartphones can distort time perception and influence affective responses to exercise; this may have implications for the evaluation of physical activity, intentions to exercise, and health behaviours.

Strategic self-talk is a powerful mental skill that athletes can use to self-regulate the effects of pressure and enhance task performance. Multistates (MuSt) theory considers the combination of emotion- and action-centered self-regulation to be the most effective strategy to optimize athletes’ performance and subjective experience. The aim of this study was to test the tenets of MuSt theory on a pressurized performance task, involving male junior football players (N = 20, Mage = 18.6) competing at the elite level in Finland. The task tested the players’ passing abilities over six trials while they applied different self-talk strategies in attempts to improve passing performance. The findings demonstrate the effectiveness of strategic self-talk as a form of self-regulation. Specifically, the combination of emotion- and action-centered cue words proved to be the optimal strategy for coping with the demands of the task. The study findings have relevant practical implications for players, coaches, and practitioners.

Introduction: Previous research has not explored features and behavior change techniques (BCTs) in physical activity (PA) promotion interventions among adolescents, including mobile health (mHealth) applications.

Purpose: This study aims to conduct a narrative literature review of adolescent PA promotion apps, examining their theoretical foundations, key BCTs, primary features, and their influence on PA adherence and maintenance. Methods: The review includes peer-reviewed studies published from 2012 to December 2024, employing qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Included studies examined healthy adolescents, focusing on PA app features and their relationship to PA promotion.

Results: A total of twenty-one studies were analyzed: ten reviews, eight qualitative studies, and three app quality assessments. Findings indicate that mHealth tools and wearable trackers yield variable impacts on PA engagement.

Conclusion: Future research must adopt higher methodological standards. Comparative studies on PA interventions require caution due to limitations such as insufficient research, inadequate compliance assessment tools, potential biases, and the absence of randomized controlled trials. The inconsistent outcomes from current intervention studies highlight the necessity for developing PA programs guided by intervention mapping or the Behavior Change Wheel, emphasizing high-quality methodologies tailored to specific target demographics.

In attempts to better understand factors that contribute to the initiation and continuation of exercise behavior, increasing research attention has focused on the pivotal role of affective responses to exercise. To further explore this topic, this study examined anticipated and remembered affective responses in a self-paced moderate-intensity running protocol with healthy adults. Participants (N = 25; 13 females; M_age = 29.2; SD = 4.34 years) performed two trials of 20 min running at a self-determined moderate intensity on a treadmill. The trials were performed 48 hr apart, and measures of anticipated affective response and remembered affect were collected prior to and after each trial. The findings indicated that participants generally anticipated a pleasant response to the moderate-intensity running activity. Anticipated affective responses recorded immediately prior to commencing running were lower than anticipated affect measured 24 hr in advance. Additionally, participants remembered their exerciserelated affect to be pleasant, although it fluctuated over time and declined during a period that extended to 48 hr postexercise. Mounting evidence suggests that training programs aiming to promote the sustainability of exercise behavior can benefit from considering temporal fluctuations of affective responses when developing exercise prescription, supervision, and maintenance.

The rapid rise of esports has prompted growing concern for the mental health of esports athletes. Gaining a better understanding of the mental health status of esports athletes is crucial to recognize the health risks associated with the industry, as well as inform targeted mental health interventions. Thus, the aim of the current study was to examine the mental health status of a large sample of esports athletes, spanning different performance levels and esports titles. Using a cross-sectional survey, we examined the well-being and symptoms of common mental disorders, in an international sample of 1,105 esports athletes. Overall, 36.7% of participants reported low well-being, 44.7% experienced symptoms of depression, 33.4% experienced anxiety, and 69.3% experienced sleep disturbance. The findings suggest that the mental health burden of esports athletes may be greater than previously reported. Moreover, esports athletes of higher competitive levels and females reported higher symptoms of mental ill-health but also higher well-being, relative to esports athletes of lower competitive levels and males, respectively. Future research is needed to better understand and explain this mental health burden within esports. Additionally, this study highlights the urgent need for the design, implementation, and evaluation of context-specific targeted mental health interventions in esports.

Purpose: This study explores how children and adolescents perceive physical activity (PA) and PA apps. We aim to understand their perceptions, past experiences, and expectations of PA and PA apps.

Methods: Participants (N=39) aged 11-15 from five European countries: Netherlands (NL), Poland (PL), Portugal (PT), Spain (ES), and Sweden (SWE) participated in the study. They provided insight regarding Behaviour Chance Techniques (BCTs) that enhance app engagement.

Results: The results offer valuable insights for creating fun and engaging adolescent PA apps that meet diverse user preferences. They also provide invaluable guidance for designing PA apps that boost adolescents' enjoyment, fun, and engagement while considering a broad spectrum of user preferences. Key BCTs identified as significantly impacting app engagement included self-monitoring, rewards, feedback, social support, action planning, and reminders - preferences and suggestions varied by gender, age, and PA levels.

Conclusions: Findings in the present study inform the MOVE4FUN project that contributes to understanding how BCTs promote sustained PA in adolescents. It underscores the pivotal role of personalised app design and a supportive climate in fulfilling individual needs and intrinsic goals. These insights contribute significantly to developing educational tools that encourage regular PA and nurture the holistic development of physically educated citizens.