Eye tracking and cardiovascular measurement to assess and improve sporting performance

One of the difficulties of working in applied sports psychology is the lack of objective data to help understand the psychological components of an athlete’s performance (Watson & Coker-Cranney, 2018). This may be one of the primary explanations for the disparity between how important coaches and athletes report psychological elements of elite performance and how much they invest in tracking and supporting such elements (Pain and Harwood, 2004). In this chapter, we discuss two objective psychophysiological measures which provide valuable insight into the psychology of performing under pressure in elite sports, and can address the need for objective data to support athlete performance. Both measures – eye tracking and cardiovascular reactivity – have considerable evidence underpinning their efficacy in research environments (e.g. Kredel, Vater, Klostermann, & Hossner, 2017; Moore, Vine, Wilson, & Freeman, 2012). We discuss some practical issues that require consideration when using such measures in applied sports settings and report a case study.