Historical Development of
Sports and Exercise Psychology
Period 1: Early Years (1893–1920)
Period 2: The Development of Laboratories and Psychological Testing (1921–1938)
Period 3: Preparation for the Future (1939–1965)
Period 4: Establishment of Academic Sport Psychology (1966–1977)
Period 5: Multidisciplinary Science and Practice in Sport and Exercise Psychology
(1978–1999)
Period 6: Contemporary Sport and Exercise Psychology (2000–Present)
1893: E.W. Scripture conducts data-based studies of athletes at Yale, examining reaction
and movement times as well as the transfer of physical training.
1897: Norman Triplett conducts the first social psychology and sport psychology
experiment, studying the effects of others on cyclists’ performances.
1897: Second Olympic Congress debates the psychological effect of sport on youths.
1899: E.W. Scripture of Yale describes personality traits that he believes can be fostered via
sport participation.
1903: Third Olympic Congress focuses on sport psychology.
1903: G.T.W. Patrick discusses the psychology of play.
1914: R. Cummins assesses motor reactions, attention, and abilities as they pertain to sport.
1918: As a student, Coleman Griffith conducts informal studies of football and basketball
players at the University of Illinois
1920: Carl Diem, a German, founded the world’s first sport psychology laboratory.
1920: The first sport psychology department is begun by P.A. Rudik in Moscow at the
State Institute of Physical Culture.
1921: Schulte publishes Body and Mind in Sport.
1921–1931: Griffith publishes 25 research articles about sport psychology.
1925: Schulte publishes Aptitude and Performance Testing for Sport.
1925: University of Illinois research-in-athletics laboratory is established; Griffith is
appointed director.
1926: Griffith publishes Psychology of Coaching.
1928: Griffith publishes Psychology of Athletics.
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