Cognitive psychophysiology as an interface between cognitive and sport psychology

Abstract/Summary This paper reviews the actual and potential benefits of a marriage between cognitive psychology and psychophysiology in the sport field. At present, in fact, cognitive psychophysiology has certainly proven to be the most profitable interface between these two theoretical domains to understand the functions of the mind and how these functions are implemented in the brain. First we will introduce the interrelationships between the two conceptual domains. Then we will briefly present the main theoretical assumptions of cognitive psychophysiology. Again, the implications of this marriage for sport cognitive psychology will be illustrated with the purpose of showing that the psychophysiological measures, i.e., Evoked and Event-related Brain Potentials, may be fruitful tools (a) for understanding athletes' cognitive behavior, and (b) for investigating how extended practice can lead to changes in processing mechanisms and cognitive strategies. Finally, an overview of our main experimental findings and of some basic conclusions and directions for future research will be presented.