“It’s Absolutely Essential”: Sport and Performance Psychology Practitioners’ Perspectives on Training, Use, and Importance of Debriefing in Applied Work

in The Sport Psychologist

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Stefanee Maurice Department of Kinesiology & Public Health, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6628-6801 *
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Megan Byrd Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7427-1060
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Holt Crawford Department of Kinesiology & Public Health, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

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Kaytlyn Johnson Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA

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Joy He Department of Kinesiology & Public Health, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

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Carolena Charalambous Renaissance Computing Institute, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2022-0113
Keywords:
professional development; reflective practice; skill development
First Published Online:
16 Jun 2023
In Print:
Volume 37: Issue 3
Page Range:
220–227
Restricted access

Debriefing is commonly used in sport and performance psychology (SPP), but little has been done to expand debriefing education and training experiences. The researchers sought to examine SPP practitioners’ education and training on debriefing and how it is used in their applied work. This study had two phases (Phase I, n = 143; Phase II, n = 13). During Phase I, researchers developed a 16-item questionnaire regarding demographics and debriefing training, use, and importance. Many participants debriefed every session (46%) and rated debriefing as extremely (53.1%) or very important (39.2%). Participants were unsatisfied with their training (55%) and desired more debriefing training from coursework (65%). Three themes were identified in Phase II interviews: training and education, use of debriefing, and importance of debriefing. With limited research in SPP about debriefing, this study furthers knowledge about how debriefing is used in practice and how training experiences can be improved.

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