An overview of mood and emotions in sport

Abstract

There is no doubt that sport generates powerful emotional responses among participants and spectators alike. The sight of soccer teams and their supporters overwhelmed by euphoria or reduced to despair during the 2002 World Cup is ample testament to this fact. There is also strong anecdotal and scientific evidence that emotions experienced by athletes prior to and during sport performance have a profound effect upon the quality of their performances (see Hanin, 2000). The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between emotional responses and sport performance. The first section addresses conceptual issues, in particular the distinction between the related constructs of emotion and mood; and presents some of the conceptual models put forward by theoreticians. The second section addresses measurement issues. The third section synthesises research on the relationship between mood and athletic performance. The fourth section explores the use of music as a mood management strategy.