Overt–covert behaviors’ linkage: Forecasting the future of sport psychology science

Sport and exercise psychology is a scientific and applied domain, which centers on social, applied, cognitive, cultural, and methodological issues pertaining to sport and exercise (Eklund & Tenenbaum, 2013; Filho & Tenenbaum, 2015). We claim that major advances in sport psychology will result from studying the neural correlates of both individual and teams’ mental operations. In effect, the epistemological route of sport psychology revolves around understanding how mental processes influence performance in sports. Recent global initiatives aimed at mapping the human brain (Human Brain Project, European Commission; BRAIN project, USA) further illustrate the importance of researching how the human brain learns, thinks, and guides motor behavior (Leshner, 2013). Accordingly, we present a succinct review of the literature on information processing, while commenting on avenues for future research regarding (1) overt-covert research concepts, (2) information processing and response-selection, (3) knowledge base and structure implications on the perceptual-cognitive system, and (4) perception-cognition-action linkage under pressure. We conclude by introducing and discussing research avenues involving epigenetics and the nature-nurture debate, as well as general methodological guidelines pertaining to both nomothetic and idiosyncratic research efforts in sport and exercise psychology.