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This paper aims to articulate the multi-regulatory and complex territory that programme developers of professional doctorates are required to navigate, and, using examples from Health Psychology and Sport and Exercise Psychology, discusses the impact of this territory on programme development. 'Practitioner Psychologist' is a legally protected title for use by those listed on the UK's Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register of practitioner psychologists. Achieving registration involves undergoing training to meet the HCPC prescribed standards, with the professional practitioner doctorate representing a viable training vehicle. The paper makes critical comparison between the HCPC standard-driven research "and" practice competences required of psychology professionals in a professional doctorate framework, versus traditional professional doctorates that provide a platform for qualified 'in situ' professionals to undertake research that problem solves and generates real-world application. For programme developers, the paper outlines a number of key considerations, including the importance of considering the territorial compatibility between the professional body requirements and the associated university framework to develop a viable product. The paper also provides some useful and informative suggestions for programme developers who may encounter similar territorial challenges, and is of relevance to an international audience interested in programme design for certified professional practitioners.

This systematic review explores the reflective accounts of applied sport psychology practitioners. The aim of this review was to synthesise the reflective accounts of applied sport psychology practitioners and highlight common themes that provide focus to their reflective practice. The insight into current progress on reflective content in applied sport psychology provides a foundation to build on as we continue to understand this topic. Following a systematic search of the literature, a total of 73 studies were included within the review, which were analysed using thematic content analysis. Analysis of the reflective accounts resulted in the creation of nine higher-order themes: Process and Purpose of Reflective Practice; Ethical Practice; Supporting Person and Performer; Practitioner Individuation; Relationships with Clients; Cultural Awareness; Competence-Related Angst; Support of Practitioner Development; and Evaluating Practitioner Effectiveness. The review includes recommendations for future research, such as the use of narrative analysis to provide further insight into applied practitioners' experiences. We also provide practical implications, which are tailored to match the specific demands of practitioners at different stages of development and include increased engagement in critical reflection for trainee practitioners and engaging with 'critical friends' to facilitate the process of meta-reflection for newly qualified practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the stories of critical moments experienced by applied sport psychology practitioners. The 13 recruited practitioners (eight male and five female) were in different stages of their development (trainee, neophyte, and experienced) and were asked to tell one story about a critical moment that significantly contributed to their development as applied practitioners. Narrative analysis was used to explore the stories of critical moments. Four distinct narrative structures were evident: Rebirth, Rags to Riches, Tragedy, and The Quest. There was one consistent narrative feature that supported these plots: Critical moments contribute toward an alignment between a practitioner's beliefs and behavior, which supports the development of a congruent philosophy of practice and the environment they choose to work within. The authors recommend future research, such as the use of narrative analysis, to explore alternative narrative structures and the investigation of successful and unsuccessful consultancy experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spotlight Profile is a contemporary personality profiling tool developed in elite sport that focuses on fostering adaptability. It has been increasingly deployed by sport psychology consultants in sport and other organizational settings, yet how end-users perceive the tool’s use to benefit their performance is not yet known. Using semi-structured interviews, we explored the experiences of 16 individuals who have engaged with Spotlight Profile as part of a performance-based intervention across elite sport and a series of other domains (e.g. business, education, health). Thematic analysis led to the development of seven themes, which included: self-awareness, contextual sensitivity, positive outlook, adaptability, self-regulation, interpersonal skills, and team effectiveness. These findings highlight the multiple benefits which may be experienced by engaging with Spotlight Profile and offer a framework to guide the potential areas for development when using personality profiling in applied practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effects of anxiety interpretation on the cognitive processing of positive and negative information. Results indicate that subjects who perceive anxiety as facilitative demonstrate a significant processing bias toward positive words during a Stroop test while subjects who perceive anxiety as debilitating are biased toward negative words.

Research has indicated positive effects of mindfulness training as a performance-based intervention and of yoga on mindfulness. This study examined the effects of a 10-week yoga intervention on mindfulness and dispositional low of elite youth swimmers using a mixed methods design. No significant changes in mindfulness and dispositional low were identified. Qualitative data suggested that the 10-week yoga intervention had a positive impact on a range of physiological, cognitive, and performance parameters that included elements of mindfulness and low. Methodological considerations for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The purpose of this study was to examine stress and coping in both competition and practice in tennis and to further investigate gender difference using Think Aloud protocol (TA) in real-time. Method: 16 (8 males and 8 females) competitive tennis players took part. A within groups design was implemented, and participants verbalised their thoughts between points of a championship tie-break during a practice and a competition condition. Data were transcribed verbatim, analysed for stressors (confidence, performance, external, physical) and coping responses (problem, emotion, avoidance) using deductive analysis. A CSAI-2R questionnaire was used to assess anxiety levels prior to practice and competition. Results: CSAI-2R results showed cognitive anxiety significantly increased from practice to competition. Performance-focused coping (e.g. planning, technical) was verbalised most frequently in both conditions. Performance stressors (e.g. outcome, tactics) were verbalised most frequently in both conditions. Males verbalised significantly more performance stress in competition and physical stress in practice. Females verbalised external stress and utilise problem-focused responses more in competition than practice. Problem-focused coping was utilised most for males and females in both conditions. Conclusion: Through the use of a novel data collection method (TA) this study provides context-specific findings within tennis, which support previous research in stress and coping where gender differences occur only for the type of stressor appraised. TA has also been found to be a viable method to assess stress and coping data in tennis. Findings can inform coaches, players, and psychologists about stressors and coping responses utilised during practice and competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional jockeys are unique among weight-making athletes, as they are often required to make weight daily and, in many cases, all year-round. Common methods employed by jockeys include dehydration, severe calorie restriction, and sporadic eating, all of which have adverse health effects. In contrast, this article outlines a structured diet and exercise plan, employed by a 22-yr-old professional National Hunt jockey in an attempt to reduce weight from 70.3 to 62.6 kg, that does not rely on any of the aforementioned techniques. Before the intervention, the client's typical daily energy intake was 8.2 MJ (42% carbohydrate [CHO], 36% fat, 22% protein) consumed in 2 meals only. During the 9-wk intervention, daily energy intake was approximately equivalent to resting metabolic rate, which the athlete consumed as 6 meals per day (7.6 MJ, 46% CHO, 19% fat, 36% protein). This change in frequency and composition of energy intake combined with structured exercise resulted in a total body-mass loss of 8 kg, corresponding to reductions in body fat from 14.5% to 9%. No form of intentional dehydration occurred throughout this period, and mean urine osmolality was 285 mOsm/kg (SD 115 mOsm/kg). In addition, positive changes in mood scores (BRUMS scale) also occurred. The client was now able to ride light for the first time in his career without dehydrating, thereby challenging the cultural practices inherent in the sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beck's (1976) theoretical account of emotional vulnerability predicts that individuals who are vulnerable to anxiety will exhibit a cognitive processing bias for the threatening interpretation of ambiguous information. As anxiety direction (Jones, 1995) may best account for individual differences, the aim of this study was to establish whether such processing bias is a function of anxiety interpretation. Anxiety facilitators and debilitators underwent a modified Stroop test by reacting to neutral and ambiguous word types in neutral, positive, and negative mood conditions. A significant 3-way interaction, F(4, 60) = 3.02, p < .05, was evident, with the reaction time of facilitators being slowest for ambiguous words in the positive mood condition and debilitators being slowest for ambiguous words in the negative mood condition. The findings illustrate the important role that anxiety interpretation plays in the mechanism involved in the processing of ambiguous information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beck's (1976) theoretical account of emotional vulnerability predicts that individuals who are vulnerable to anxiety will exhibit a cognitive processing bias for the threatening interpretation of ambiguous information. As anxiety direction (Jones, 1995) may best account for individual differences, the aim of this study was to establish whether such processing bias is a function of anxiety interpretation. Anxiety facilitators and debilitators underwent a modified Stroop test by reacting to neutral and ambiguous word types in neutral, positive, and negative mood conditions. A significant 3-way interaction, F(4, 60) = 3.02, p < .05, was evident, with the reaction time of facilitators being slowest for ambiguous words in the positive mood condition and debilitators being slowest for ambiguous words in the negative mood condition. The findings illustrate the important role that anxiety interpretation plays in the mechanism involved in the processing of ambiguous information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]