Emotion and performance -- Emotion and cognition -- Emotion and decision-making -- Emotional regulation -- Challenge and threat -- Theory of challenge and threat states in athletes -- Summary -- Study questions -- Further reading -- 7 Resilience -- Introduction -- What is resilience? -- Adversity -- Factors influencing resilience -- Implications for performance -- Mental toughness -- Hardiness -- Grit -- Optimism and pessimism -- Summary -- Study questions -- Further reading -- 8 Ageing and experience -- Introduction -- Career length -- Deterioration due to ageing -- Cognitive decline -- Physical/physiological decline -- Enhanced knowledge and expertise -- Maintaining performance levels with ageing -- Summary -- Study questions -- Further reading -- 9 Confidence -- Introduction -- What is confidence? -- Self-efficacy -- Self-confidence -- Sports confidence -- Negative effects of high confidence -- Overconfidence -- Resilient or robust confidence -- Enhancing self-efficacy -- Enhancing confidence -- Implications for performance -- Summary -- Study questions -- Further reading -- 10 Psychophysiology -- Introduction -- Psychophysiology -- Electroencephalography (EEG) -- Implications for performance -- Electrocardiography and heart rate measures -- Eye tracking -- Biofeedback -- Neurofeedback -- Summary -- Study questions -- Further reading -- 11 Developing motor skills -- Introduction -- Cortical and CNS changes -- Skill acquisition and motor learning -- Traditional approaches -- The Mesh approach -- Deliberate practice -- Ecological dynamics of skill acquisition -- Factors influencing motor skill development -- Summary -- Study questions -- Further reading -- 12 Psychological strategies to enhance performance under pressure -- Introduction -- Psychological skills training -- Imagery -- Cognitive restructuring -- Self- talk -- Relaxation techniques