A qualitative exploration of sport and exercise psychology practitioners’ perceptions and experiences of using Think Aloud in applied practice

Whitehead, Amy and Jackman, Patricia and Vaughan, Steven and Swettenham, Laura and Birch, Phil and Tod, David and McEwan, Hayley (2025) A qualitative exploration of sport and exercise psychology practitioners’ perceptions and experiences of using Think Aloud in applied practice. The Sport Psychologist, 39 (1). pp. 12-20. ISSN 0888-4781

Text (Whitehead_et_al_2024_TA_and_ASEPs_accepted_manuscript_TSP)
Whitehead_et_al_2024_TA_and_ASEPs_accepted_manuscript_TSP.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.
Download (387kB)

Abstract

Aims: Think aloud (TA) is a tool that has been used in sport and exercise psychology research and applied contexts to understand participants’ cognitions. We aimed to explore applied sport and exercise psychologists (ASEPs’) perceptions of using TA in their applied practice. Method: Following a workshop on TA, 10 ASEPs engaged in semistructured interviews about their experiences of using TA with clients. Data were analyzed via content analysis. Results: TA was used as part of the needs-analysis process and to facilitate reflection and evaluation. The following considerations were highlighted: client factors (e.g., individual differences), consulting factors (i.e., teaching participants how to TA), and the client–consultant relationship (i.e., strength of the working alliance). Conclusion: This is the first study to consider ASEPs’ perspectives on how TA can be used in applied practice, and it offers considerations to ASEPs on the use of TA as a tool in service delivery.