ISSP Global Master Class Series – Lecture #7 – Extreme Experiences in Sports and Experiences in Extreme Sports: A Dual Psychology Perspective

ISSP Master Class Series – Lecture #7

Extreme Experiences in Sports and Experiences in Extreme Sports

A Dual Psychology Perspective

Date: Tuesday, May 16^th, 2024
Speakers: Prof. Dr. Dieter Hackfort
Length of Session: 90 minutes (60-minute lecture, 30-minute Q&A)
Language: English (Live multilingual captioning available)
Time: 12:00 UTC (New York 8:00, Belo Horizonte, 9:00, Beijing 20:00, Seoul 21:00, Sydney 22:00)
Where: Zoom (Link sent upon registration)
Recordings: Available for 60 days after the lecture

Program Overview
During this lecture, Prof. Hackfort will examine distinctions and various conceptual approaches in order to explain behavior in adventurous, risky, and extreme sports activities. In applying an action-theory perspective, Prof. Hackfort will outline a prolific framework for a differentiated analysis and the development of a sophisticated understanding considering socio-cultural circumstances and individual motivations associated with participation in such activities. The purposes of this presentation are to (1) differentiate and describe adventurous sport activities, risk sports, and extreme sports, (2) analyze and elucidate explanations for them, and (3) clarify some misunderstandings in public perceptions related to these activities. Prof. Hackfort will question the usage of labels such as ‘danger-freaks,’ ‘stress-junkies,’ or ‘sensation-seekers’ and unravel misleading attributions. With reference to concepts like stress and coping, risk and security, or arousal and relaxation, he will illustrate the necessity of a dual perspective and the meaning of considering functional interrelations. Only thus, it is possible to move beyond simple mono-causal and uni-directional approaches for an appropriate conceptualization of the organization and regulation of human actions, not only in adventurous sport activities or elite sports but also in non-sporting action fields or domains. However, based on his experiences in applied sport psychology, Prof. Hackfort will also address opportunities to learn about risk behavior and design strategies for risk education to enhance risk-consciousness and competencies in calculated risk-taking.

About the Speakers
Prof. Dieter Hackfort is a retired Professor of Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. Since 1985, Prof. Hackfort has held professorships in universities on three continents: Europe (Heidelberg and Munich in Germany), Asia (Doha, Qatar and Wuhan, China), and North America (Tampa, Florida, USA). From 1989 to 1993, Prof. Hackfort was the president of the German Association for Sport Psychology (ASP), and from 2005 to 2009, he was the President of the International Society of Sport Psychology ISSP). Prof. Hackfort continues to be heavily involved in applied practice. His applied work extends from working as a consultant for world champions in professional sports (e.g., F1) and Olympic gold medalists (e.g., skiing) as well as performing artists, elite sports organizations, and businesses around the globe. The main research interests of Prof. Hackfort are in (1) high-performance management, including the organizational set-up for high performance, (2) lifestyle and career management of elite athletes, (3) mental fitness and robustness, (4) stress and emotions concerning its functional meaning for action regulation, (5) the development of diagnostic tools, assessment strategies and measurements for a computer-assisted mental test and training system (MTTS). His work on these various issues is connected with the conceptual and methodological advancement of an action-theory perspective in the social/human sciences. Prof. Hackfort is a widely published scholar with over 250 publications, including 35 books and edited volumes. Prof. Hackfort received numerous awards in recognition of his outstanding academic and applied research and leadership in national and international organizations. Among others, he received the ISSP International Sport Psychologist Award in 2017 and was bestowed the status of ISSP Fellow in 2018. Finally, in 2023, Prof. Hackfort was selected for the inaugural generation of the ISSP Hall of Fame to be one of the top ten living sport psychologists.

Program Format
Attendees can participate in an ISSP Master Class session right from their office or home. Upon registration, registrants will be provided the Zoom link to access the presentation on the web in real-time. If you are unable to watch the session live, a recording will be provided afterward to all registrants.

Cost (in USD)