Programme structure: Performance Psychology

For this full-time degree, you will examine issues, such as anxiety and distraction, that affect individual, team or group performance. You will also study how to address those issues, as well as techniques to enhance performance.

This programme focuses on the study of psychological factors associated with high-level performance.

Programme structure

Masters degrees at the University of Edinburgh comprise 180 credits.

The first 120 credits are made up of taught courses, and the dissertation is worth 60 credits.

You must receive an average mark of 50% or more and pass at least 80 credits with a mark of at least 50% in each of the taught courses to progress to the dissertation.

Once you successfully complete all 180 credits, you receive your MSc. You can complete the masters degree in 11 months full-time.

Our MSc is not specifically geared towards sport psychology although it does draw heavily from this area. This MSc does not offer formal accreditation to students wishing to complete a Sport Psychology accreditation route.

Courses

Learning is in the form of lectures, seminars and directed reading.

You will complete a series of seven courses. These courses cover key topics related to performance psychology as well as essential skills for scientific practitioners such as legal and ethical issues and effective communication.

Courses are designed to develop your ability to critically appraise scientific literature and apply methods to plan, conduct and disseminate your research, following the established principles of rigorous scientific study.

Understanding Research Concepts (10 credits)
Research Process (10 credits)
Professional Skills in Development Environments (20 credits)
Stress: Coping and Control (20 credits)
Peak Performance (20 credits)
Planning and Instruction for Performance (20 credits)
Dynamics of Performance Teams (20 credits)

Please note that courses and course content may change each year.

Course descriptions (2024-25)

Dissertation

Once you successfully complete your taught courses you may progress to the dissertation. You must complete the dissertation to receive the MSc.

You may select any topic that reflects your interests as long as it remains within the overall rationale of the programme and appropriate supervision is available.

Examples of recent topics include:

Professional development issues in sport psychology
Decision-making in surgeons
Mental toughness in military pilots
Optimism and stress in trainee teachers
Emotional intelligence and elite sport performance
Talent development in non-classical music
Experiences of flow in dance
Expertise development in international sport
Change blindness’ effects moderated by experience level in sport

Submission format includes the option to submit in journal article style.

Publications

Published work based on MSc Performance Psychology dissertation research

Students are shown as authors names in bold.

MacNamara, A., Holmes, P. and Collins, D., (2006).The Pathway to Excellence: The Role of Psychological Characteristics in Negotiating the Challenges of Musical Development. British Journal of Music Education, 23, (3) 285-302.
Ollis, S., MacPherson, A., and Collins, D., (2006). Expertise and talent development in rugby refereeing: an ethnographic enquiry. Journal of Sports Sciences, 24, (3), 309322.
Critien, N.,and Ollis, S., (2006). Multiple Engagement of Self in the Development of Talent in Professional Dancers. Research in Dance Education, 7(2), 179-200.
Hefferon, K. H., and Ollis, S., (2006). An interpretive phenomenological analysis of flow experiences in professional dancers. Research in Dance Education, 7(2), 141159.
Kamin, S., Richards, H. and Collins, D. (2007). Influences on the talent development process of non-classical musicians: psychological social and environmental influences. Music Education Research, 9, 449-468.
McClung, M., and Collins, D., (2007). "Because I know it will!": Placebo effects of an ergogenic aid on athletic performance. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29(3), 382-394.
Woodcock, C., Richards, H., and Mugford, A. (2008). Quality counts: Critical features for neophyte development. The Sport Psychologist, 22, 491-506.

This article was published on 2024-10-07