In this week's Science Cafe Adam Walton visits IPEP, the Institute for Psychology of Elite Performance, which is part of Bangor University's School of Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences.

Adam meets co-directors of IPEP Dr Tim Woodman & Dr Calum Arthur who outline the role of psychology in sport, and particularly elite performance, and how it can be applied in other fields, such as business and the military. IPEP can evaluate various psychological strategies using the resources of the department, including eye-tracking, motion analysis, and studying how performance breaks down under pressure.

Dr Ross Roberts explains the concept of narcissism in sport and talks us through an experiment with students on exercise bikes to determine how a narcissist's performance can vary depending on the opportunity for individual glory.

Adam meets Rosie Poyner who has been working with coaches in various sports including horse riding and ice-skating, to improve performance using various techniques such as visualisation and self-talk. We also hear from Tessa Chew at the Clwyd Special Riding Centre at Llanfynydd near Wrexham who has been mentored by Rosie.

Links

Clwyd Special Riding Centre