Do Titles Matter in Sport Psychology? Performer Attitudes Toward Professional Titles and the Effect of a Brief Intervention

Abstract

Understanding the practitioner attributes that influence consumers' preferences is of vital importance to licensing organizations and individual practitioners in the field of sport psychology (Hamberger & Iso-Ahola, 2006;Van Raalte, Brewer, Matheson & Brewer, 1996). This study examined consumer preferences towards three professional titles (sport psychologist, life coach, and neuro-linguistic programming practitioner) and a range of other practitioner characteristics, as well as the extent to which a brief intervention impacted these

Education and training in the field of applied sport psychology in Europe

“…This is in line with studies differentiating between practitioners with, and practitioners without credentials (e.g. Lubker, Visek, Watson, & Singpurwalla, 2012;Sanchez, Godin, & De Zanet, 2005;Woolway & Harwood, 2015).…”

Gatekeepers’ Experiences of Hiring a Sport Psychologist: A Phenomenological Study

“…Both internal (e.g., finance and time) and external (e.g., SPC integration and the negative perceptions of coaches) barriers have been found to hold a significant influence over individuals' likelihood to seek the services of an SPC (Pain & Harwood, 2004). Despite these areas of study being important to the understanding of gaining entry, it is beyond the scope of this paper to provide an in-depth discussion and critique of these fields (see Johnson, Andersson, & Fallby, 2011;Woolway & Harwood, 2015). However, one aspect of the gaining entry process that appears to have been overlooked by sport psychology professional practice literature is that of the entry/employment interview.…”

“…However, contrasting lines of research (e.g., consultant characteristics, barriers to entry) in the field of professional practice often converge when studying the process of gaining entry to practice. The literature on consultants' characteristics, originally stemming from research in allied professions such as counsellors, physicians, and therapists, has received the most research interest and attention (Dorn, 1984;Hash, Munna, Vogel, & Bason, 2003;Lewis & Walsh, 1978;Woolway & Harwood, 2015). This field of study explores the influence of the practitioners' traits, appearance, and background on potential consumers' perceptions of effectiveness and preferences for future consultation.…”

“…This field of study explores the influence of the practitioners' traits, appearance, and background on potential consumers' perceptions of effectiveness and preferences for future consultation. When reviewing this literature, the most preferred sport psychologist was of the same age and race to potential consumers, and possessed a high athletic background, interpersonal skills, and sport specific knowledge (see Lubker, Visek, Geer, & Watson, 2008;Woolway & Harwood, 2015). They were female, GATEKEEPERS' EXPERIENCES OF HIRING A SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST 4 athletically built, physically active, had experience working with diverse populations, and possessed either an advanced degree or certification (cf.…”

“…Understanding how these individuals' perceptions, preferences and beliefs affect the provision of sport psychology consulting within athletic departments can provide GATEKEEPERS' EXPERIENCES OF HIRING A SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST 6 useful information to organisations and individuals promoting applied sport psychology (Wilson et al, 2009). Past research has examined gatekeepers' and potential consumers likelihood to seek the services of a sport psychologist, as an aspect of the gaining entry process (Wilson et al, 2009;Woolway & Harwood, 2015). Recent research suggested that understanding the hiring experiences and decisions of individuals with direct organizational responsibility for employing SPCs would provide clarity to previous findings from prospective consumers (Thelwell, Wood, Harwood, Woolway, & van Raalte, 2018).…”