What Are the Most Important Psychological Characteristics?

In this episode I welcome back Prof Mark Williams. Mark is one of the world’s leading authorities in sports performance. This time, Mark is joined by Prof Nicola Hodges. Nikki is a Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver in the School of Kinesiology.

It is at UBC that Nikki runs the Motor Skills Laboratory where she studies the mechanisms of motor skill learning. Her research focuses on processes involved in watching, learning and predicting from others and how practice should be best structured to bring about long-term enhancement of motor skills and high-level performance (particularly in sport). She has been involved in sport-consulting and she has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and chapters.

Mark and Nikki have just released the 3rd edition of a book they edited entitled Skill Acquisition in Sport: Research, Theory and Practice. This edition has 40 new authors and 10 new chapters. And it’s this book that we discuss in detail.