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Comprehensive Assessment of Mobile Apps for Psychological Skills Training in Sports

Q: What are the potential barriers and challenges that app developers face in creating high-quality PST apps, and how can these be addressed?

Developing high-quality PST apps presents several barriers and challenges that can hinder the effectiveness and usability of the final product. Key challenges include: Lack of Scientific Validation: Many PST apps currently lack empirical support and scientific validation, which can undermine their credibility. To address this, developers should collaborate with sports psychologists and researchers to incorporate evidence-based techniques and ensure that the app's content is grounded in established psychological principles. Technical Limitations: Developers may encounter technical challenges related to app functionality, performance, and compatibility across different devices and operating systems. To mitigate these issues, developers should conduct thorough testing on various devices and operating systems, ensuring that the app performs optimally in diverse environments. User Engagement: Maintaining user engagement can be difficult, especially if the app lacks interactive and entertaining features. Developers can address this by incorporating gamification elements, such as rewards, challenges, and progress tracking, to enhance user motivation and retention. Resource Constraints: Limited financial and human resources can restrict the development process, leading to compromises in quality. Developers can seek partnerships with academic institutions, sports organizations, or funding agencies to secure additional resources and expertise. Privacy and Data Security: Ensuring user privacy and data security is paramount, especially when dealing with sensitive psychological information. Developers should implement robust security measures, comply with data protection regulations, and communicate transparently with users about how their data will be used and protected. By proactively addressing these challenges, app developers can create high-quality PST apps that effectively support athletes in their psychological skills training.

Q: What role can sports psychologists and other experts play in the development and evaluation of mobile apps for psychological skills training in sports?

Sports psychologists and other experts play a critical role in the development and evaluation of mobile apps for psychological skills training (PST) in several ways: Content Expertise: Sports psychologists can provide valuable insights into the psychological techniques and interventions that are most effective for athletes. Their expertise ensures that the app incorporates scientifically validated methods, enhancing the app's credibility and effectiveness. User-Centered Design Input: Involving sports psychologists in the design process can help ensure that the app meets the specific needs of athletes. Their understanding of athlete behavior, motivation, and mental health can guide the development of features that resonate with users and promote engagement. Evaluation and Testing: Experts can assist in the evaluation of the app's effectiveness through rigorous testing and research. They can design studies to assess the app's impact on athletes' psychological skills, performance, and well-being, providing empirical evidence to support the app's claims. Feedback on Usability: Sports psychologists can offer feedback on the app's usability from a psychological perspective, ensuring that the app is user-friendly and accessible. Their input can help identify potential barriers to user engagement and satisfaction. Training and Support: Experts can provide training and support for users, helping them understand how to effectively utilize the app in their PST. This can include creating educational materials, tutorials, and resources that enhance the user experience. By collaborating with sports psychologists and other experts, app developers can create high-quality PST apps that are not only effective but also grounded in psychological science, ultimately benefiting athletes in their training and performance.

核心概念

The current offerings of mobile apps for psychological skills training (PST) in sports generally fail to meet acceptable quality standards, highlighting the need for improvement in the development of these apps to enhance their quality and usability.

要約

This study aimed to assess the current offerings of available mobile apps for PST in sports, rate their quality, and provide recommendations for future app development. A systematic search of the Apple App Store identified 19 PST-related apps that were evaluated using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS).

The key findings are:

The apps employed diverse media formats such as videos, audios, articles, assessments, e-books, cognitive tasks, and personalized journals to deliver PST content.
The overall quality of the 19 apps, as measured by the MARS, failed to meet acceptable standards, with a mean rating of 2.78 out of 5. Only 6 out of the 19 apps received a score that met the acceptable standards.
The subscale analysis revealed that the apps performed best in functionality, followed by aesthetics, information quality, and engagement. The subjective satisfaction quality was the lowest.
Recommendations for improving future PST app development include:
- Incorporating scientifically validated techniques and methods
- Enhancing engagement and entertainment value through gamification and personalized features
- Improving the accuracy and quality of information provided

The study highlights the need for a more rigorous and evidence-based approach to the development of mobile apps for PST in sports to ensure their effectiveness and usability for athletes.

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統計

"The overall mean score on the MARS was 2.78 (SD = 0.48) out of 5."
"Only 32% of the apps, or 6 out of 19, received a minimum acceptable score of 3."

引用

"The findings highlight the need for improvement in the development of PST apps to enhance their quality and usability."
"The incorporation of scientifically validated techniques and methods into the design of PST apps can ensure that the apps have a strong empirical foundation and are grounded in established theories and practices."

抽出されたキーインサイト

Quality of Mobile Apps for Psychological Skills Training in Sport: a MARS-based Study

by R. Bonetti, ... 場所 arxiv.org 09-23-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2409.12970.pdf

Quality of Mobile Apps for Psychological Skills Training in Sport: a MARS-based Study

深掘り質問

How can the app development process be improved to better incorporate user feedback and ensure the apps meet the needs and preferences of the target user group?

To enhance the app development process for psychological skills training (PST) apps, it is crucial to establish a systematic approach for incorporating user feedback throughout the development lifecycle. This can be achieved through several strategies:

User-Centered Design (UCD): Implementing a user-centered design approach ensures that the needs and preferences of athletes are prioritized. This involves engaging users in the design process from the outset, conducting interviews, surveys, and focus groups to gather insights on their expectations and experiences with existing PST apps.

Iterative Testing and Prototyping: Developers should create prototypes of the app and conduct usability testing with real users. This iterative process allows for continuous feedback, enabling developers to make necessary adjustments before the final release. Regular testing can help identify usability issues and areas for improvement, ensuring the app is intuitive and user-friendly.

Feedback Mechanisms: Incorporating built-in feedback mechanisms within the app can facilitate ongoing user input. Features such as surveys, rating systems, and suggestion boxes can encourage users to share their experiences and recommendations, which can be analyzed to inform future updates and enhancements.

Community Engagement: Building a community around the app can foster user engagement and loyalty. Developers can create forums or social media groups where users can discuss their experiences, share tips, and provide feedback. This community-driven approach can yield valuable insights into user preferences and needs.

Data Analytics: Utilizing data analytics tools to track user behavior within the app can provide quantitative insights into how users interact with various features. Analyzing this data can help developers understand which aspects of the app are most effective and which require improvement.

By implementing these strategies, app developers can create PST apps that are more aligned with the needs and preferences of their target user group, ultimately enhancing user satisfaction and effectiveness.

What are the potential barriers and challenges that app developers face in creating high-quality PST apps, and how can these be addressed?

Developing high-quality PST apps presents several barriers and challenges that can hinder the effectiveness and usability of the final product. Key challenges include:

Lack of Scientific Validation: Many PST apps currently lack empirical support and scientific validation, which can undermine their credibility. To address this, developers should collaborate with sports psychologists and researchers to incorporate evidence-based techniques and ensure that the app's content is grounded in established psychological principles.

Technical Limitations: Developers may encounter technical challenges related to app functionality, performance, and compatibility across different devices and operating systems. To mitigate these issues, developers should conduct thorough testing on various devices and operating systems, ensuring that the app performs optimally in diverse environments.

User Engagement: Maintaining user engagement can be difficult, especially if the app lacks interactive and entertaining features. Developers can address this by incorporating gamification elements, such as rewards, challenges, and progress tracking, to enhance user motivation and retention.

Resource Constraints: Limited financial and human resources can restrict the development process, leading to compromises in quality. Developers can seek partnerships with academic institutions, sports organizations, or funding agencies to secure additional resources and expertise.

Privacy and Data Security: Ensuring user privacy and data security is paramount, especially when dealing with sensitive psychological information. Developers should implement robust security measures, comply with data protection regulations, and communicate transparently with users about how their data will be used and protected.

By proactively addressing these challenges, app developers can create high-quality PST apps that effectively support athletes in their psychological skills training.

What role can sports psychologists and other experts play in the development and evaluation of mobile apps for psychological skills training in sports?

Sports psychologists and other experts play a critical role in the development and evaluation of mobile apps for psychological skills training (PST) in several ways:

Content Expertise: Sports psychologists can provide valuable insights into the psychological techniques and interventions that are most effective for athletes. Their expertise ensures that the app incorporates scientifically validated methods, enhancing the app's credibility and effectiveness.

User-Centered Design Input: Involving sports psychologists in the design process can help ensure that the app meets the specific needs of athletes. Their understanding of athlete behavior, motivation, and mental health can guide the development of features that resonate with users and promote engagement.

Evaluation and Testing: Experts can assist in the evaluation of the app's effectiveness through rigorous testing and research. They can design studies to assess the app's impact on athletes' psychological skills, performance, and well-being, providing empirical evidence to support the app's claims.

Feedback on Usability: Sports psychologists can offer feedback on the app's usability from a psychological perspective, ensuring that the app is user-friendly and accessible. Their input can help identify potential barriers to user engagement and satisfaction.

Training and Support: Experts can provide training and support for users, helping them understand how to effectively utilize the app in their PST. This can include creating educational materials, tutorials, and resources that enhance the user experience.

By collaborating with sports psychologists and other experts, app developers can create high-quality PST apps that are not only effective but also grounded in psychological science, ultimately benefiting athletes in their training and performance.