Performance Psychology: Optimizing Performance With Psychology

Course overview

Performance Psychology is emerging as a practice area that focuses on applying psychological principles, theories, and skills to enhance optimal performance among populations such as performing artists, athletes, and those in the business world. This course explores the development of domain-specific knowledge and application of Psychological Skills Training (PST), such as those used in sport psychology, to allow for the consultant/practitioner to effect specific change in the performance of clients in pressure situations. Although geared to practitioners as an introduction to the field, ready-to-use skills and principles are presented for the practitioner to apply to their own performance as well as to the populations mentioned above. This introductory-level course is appropriate for practitioners of all levels of experience. The first set of articles, Introduction to Performance Psychology, explores the history of performance consulting, as well as providing a look at domain-specific populations the practitioner is likely to work with in this field of consulting. The second section of the course, Is Performance Consulting for You? includes an interview with one of the leading authorities in the field of Performance Psychology, Dr. Kate Hayes, as well as an assessment of your self-described readiness to practice as a performance consultant. The third set of articles, Psychological Skills for Performance Enhancement, includes specific descriptions and discussions around the skill-set of the performance consultant. The fourth section, Developing a Performance Consulting Practice, provides the practitioner with a comprehensive discussion of the skills and actions necessary to market and apply the previous skill set to specific populations. Finally, Further Resources provides an extensive bibliography, articles, and resources to support the practitioner's journey to working with performance specific populations.