How Intervention Research Designs May Broaden the Research-to-Practice Gap in Sport Psychology

Frank O. Elya*, Jenny O.b & Krista J. Munroe-Chandleraa University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canadab Cal State East Bay, Hayward, California, USASupplemental data for this article is available online at here.CONTACT Frank O. Ely elyf@uwindsor.ca University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Windsor, ON N9B 3P6, Canada.AbstractSport-based interventions are often highly systematic and follow rigorous procedures. While these components provide value for researchers hoping to advance knowledge, practitioners may find it difficult to replicate or implement such interventions in the real world. Many published intervention studies either under-report or provide overly complex methodology, and thus, intervention researchers may be inadvertently widening the research-to-practice gap in sport psychology. Using a recent applied imagery intervention as an exemplar, methodological components that were either under-reported or overly complex are discussed and re-presented as practical recommendations for practitioners. Future recommendations are also provided with the hope of narrowing the research-to-practice gap.