Performance Psychology in Action


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Book about performance psychology informs and entertains
(November 2009 Issue)

"Performance Psychology in Action:
A Casebook for Working with Athletes, Performing Artists, Business Leaders, and Professionals in High-Risk Occupations”
Edited by Kate F. Hays
American Psychological Association
Washington, D.C., 2009

By James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA

Have you heard about performance psychology? As defined in this book, it is a discipline that "chiefly focuses on intervention strategies to increase and manage success." Performance psychology borrows largely from sport psychology and performance enhancement approaches used in business, the arts and other high-risk occupations.

Editor Kate F. Hays assembled 15 chapters by contemporary experts in the relatively new and emerging field of performance psychology. At first glance, you may struggle to find a unifying theme among the various chapters. However, with careful reading, the picture becomes clearer: performance psychology is an amalgam of intervention methods principally devoted to emotional, social and behavioral influences on peak occupational functioning.

Following several chapters dealing with the mental attributes that impact human behavior, the book targets specific performance challenges. There are chapters about audition anxiety experienced by actors, musicians and similar artists, impediments to athletes, overcoming perfectionist standards and competition among business executives. While acknowledging the unique elements of different occupations, the chapters reveal that certain core intervention methods make up the performance psychology toolbox.

Regarding intervention, performance psychologists rely heavily on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). A CBT orientation is illustrated nicely by examples of therapeutic dialogue contained in each chapter. Other common techniques include goal setting, relaxation training and behavioral rehearsal. Readers familiar with the performance enhancement literature will recognize the benefits of these procedures and their extension to non-clinical settings.

Although I enjoyed most everything about this book, its coverage of sport psychology was particularly impressive. The athletic arena, I think, is the ideal context for studying performance enhancement. Notably, the book looks at youth and elite athletes, the role of family in supporting athletic pursuits, individual and team competition and critically, social relationship building that characterizes sports on all levels.

Noting that some of the chapters discuss mental health issues, the book only briefly considers psychiatric matters that impact performance. Anxiety, certainly, is discussed but as it applies to specific situations such as the stage, office and tennis court and not as a diagnosed clinical condition. I found it intriguing that many of the authors featured in the book were first trained in psychotherapy, only later mastering skills for a new career in performance psychology.

Relative to professional training, several authors discuss how they became a sport psychologist, executive coach and business consultant. On the other hand, there's not much about academic programs or post-graduate credentialing that prepares one to become a performance enhancement specialist. This relative limitation reflects the newness of the field and probably could be addressed in a second edition of the book.

"Professional Psychology in Action" is a marvelous accomplishment! True to its title, the book emphasizes the "how to" aspects of conducting performance psychology intervention and consultation. The authors are experienced professionals who write enthusiastically about their specialties and offer many practice recommendations. Kudos to Kate F. Hays for producing a book that informs, teaches, and entertains.

James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA, is senior vice president, applied research, clinical training and peer review at the May Institute in Norwood, Mass.