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Athlete rituals a theater of the bizarre
Deutsche Welle: Michael Phelps may be known for winning a record 22 Olympic medals. What’s less known is that whenever he gets ready to race, he walks to the starting block, takes off his headphones
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Olympics 2012: Superstition is the way some star athletes keep their winning edge
New York Daily News: U.S. women’s judo champ Kayla Harrison wore lucky socks that were a gift from her grandmother when she won Olympic gold. British hockey player Laura Unsworth has banned a teammate from
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The Karmic Connection: Do We Expect Good Fortune After Helping Others?
The Huffington Post: In general, what goes around comes around. If you’re nice to people, good things come your way, but if you’re jagoff, look out (or, as I like to say, “don’t put shit
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Mind games of the victorious
Reuters: For decades after the first sports psychology lab was established in 1920 in Germany, mental coaches have been the water boys of sports science, viewed by their colleagues as not quite good enough to
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Silly Sports Rituals? Think Again
Five days left, 5 psychological science highlights: Counting down to the Olympic Opening Ceremony, with research insights on sports and performance. #5. Have you seen Michelle Jenneke’s prerace routine? How about Stephanie Rice before she
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Investing in Karma by Doing Good Deeds
For so many important outcomes in life – applying for jobs, waiting for medical test results – there comes a point when you just have to sit back and hope for the best. But that
