Ten Issues for Exploring Sport Psychology from a Cognitive Science Perspective

This study reviews the key theoretical advancements and challenges in sport psychology from the perspective of cognitive science, focusing on the research findings and theoretical significance of cognitive processing in sports over the past 20 years. First, it reviews the main theoretical frameworks of sport cognition, including the cognitive processing theory model in motor decision-making state and the motor decision-making in Bayesian framework, revealing the efficient functioning of the perception-action system in athletes under high time pressure. Second, the study analyzes how advanced cognitive functions such as motor representation and inhibitory control contribute to enhancing athletic performance and explores how research in cognitive neuroscience can be applied to practical athletic training. Third, the paper emphasizes the integration of sport cognition theories, the construction of computational models of motor cognition, and the role of interdisciplinary approaches in advancing both research and practical applications. While reviewing these three areas, the paper also raises ten key issues for future development in this field, inviting colleagues to jointly explore the future of sport psychology.