New University podcast episode focuses on psychology of the World Cup

With the men’s England squad looking to book their place in the semi-finals this weekend, the latest podcast in the Psychology Of... series examines how footballing nations manage the pressures of the tournament, the tension of penalty shoot-outs, and how fans can make a positive impact.

Regular host Dr Clea Wright is joined by Dr Ross Stewart and Dr Anna Leishman for the 45-minute episode – available in both audio and video formats – discussing a range of topics.

Big football fan Ross talks about following Scotland at the World Cup, and how Bostonians began dressing up in traffic cones in response to the visiting 'Tartan Army’ placing such cones on local statues.

Ross also speaks about the pressures of penalty shoot-outs and how goalkeepers can influence where penalty-takers shoot, while Sport Psychologist Anna talks about the tricks strikers can use in the run-up technique.

Anna also talks about how people are more inclined to watch football in a big international tournament as opposed to following local clubs, and how early setbacks can show the mental toughness of competitors.

The podcast also discusses what makes fans support the underdogs, and whether squads should be comprised of the best players or the best team – and how some nations build their team around one star player.

Clea said: “With the World Cup in full swing at the moment, with millions of fans tuning in at all times of the day to watch the action from North America, we felt it was the perfect time to look at the effect psychology plays on fans and players, including the styles of half-time team talks and the dreaded penalty shoot-outs. My thanks to Ross and Anna for providing expert analysis.

“We have more topics to discuss in the upcoming weeks, including from our new mini-series on crime, and will be analysing all the developments in the next Celebrity Traitors series later this year.”

To watch and listen to the latest podcast, please visit the Psychology Of...profile on Spofify.

For more information on Psychology at the University of Chester, please visit: https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/psychology.