Research

Sport Psychology: the Dynamics of Human Performance Regulation Laboratory (DHPRL)

Our overarching research interest is on the dynamics of human performance regulation in sports and other performance contexts. To investigate these dynamics, we draw on theories and concepts from motivation, volition, and emotion research, as well as a diverse set of methods from psychology, physiology, and neuroscience. In our work, we strive for interdisciplinarity, open science & international collaboration.

If you want to learn more about DHPRL, then let’s first briefly discuss what we actually mean by the terms dynamics and performance regulation in our research.

 Performance Regulation

In the DHPRL, performance refers to clearly defined behavioral episodes in which people willingly perform physical or mental tasks. This includes a wide range of performances, from patients who can only take a few steps due to illness-related fatigue, to individuals who usually engage in little physical activity and attempt to jog for an hour, to elite athletes who provide insights into the limits of human performance. Naturally, this understanding of performance and how it is regulated is very open to interdisciplinary collaboration.

Dynamics

In the DHPRL, we explore dynamics under the keywords 'time', 'systems', and 'interpersonal.' With respect to time, we investigate temporal dynamics within intensive longitudinal data. In our research, the concept of time primarily (but not exclusively) refers to linear and non-linear trends within individual behavioral episodes in which people regulate their performance. Intensive longitudinal data refers to high-resolution tracking of these behavioral episodes. Thus, a behavioral episode does not need to last particularly long in order to produce intensive longitudinal data that are interesting for us. With respect to systems, the DHPRL explores the interaction of different systems and their influence on performance regulation. This approach aligns with the considerations of complex systems theory, which states that integrating information from different (interacting) systems can help to better understand fundamental mechanisms. Specifically, this involves the combined investigation of psychological, neuroscientific, and physiological parameters. With respect to interpersonal, the DHPRL investigates the influence the presence of other people has on performance regulation. In our research, we combine these keywords in different 'mixing ratios,' depending on the specific research question. Again, this understanding of dynamics and their complexity makes us very open to diverse interdisciplinary collaborations.

DHPRL in a Nutshell

In summary, we focus on (non-linear) dynamics over time, between systems, and between individuals in the context of sports from a performance regulation perspective. To do this, we employ specialized measurement techniques and sophisticated analysis methods, including psychological, neuroscientific, and physiological measurement instruments, as well as a host of synchronization and data acquisition technologies.