Exploring the Processes of Evidence-Informed Decision-Making in Applied Sport Psychology

The purpose of the current study was to explore evidence-informed decisions involved in designing psychological interventions for performance enhancement. Employing a constructivist grounded theory methodology, 10 experienced and 10 early career sport psychology practitioners participated in semi-structured interviews. All participants gained their qualified status through the British Psychological Society and were registered practitioner psychologists with the Health and Care Professions Council within the UK. Accordingly, results are reflective of the participants’ training and practice experiences. Four key categories of decision-making processes were constructed: gathering information about the athlete, using research evidence, drawing on experience and tacit knowledge, and integration. Our findings demonstrated the interactions between research-based and practice-based knowledge when designing interventions that suit the needs of the athlete, work pragmatically within the applied context, and have the desired effect on the intervention goal. Our findings provide a better understanding of the interactions and processes used by sport psychology practitioners in applied practice. Such an understanding may inform the construction of evidence-informed interventions that lead to better performance outcomes.