Psychological Momentum in Sport

Psychological momentum is the perception that one is progressing toward a goal, often triggered by a precipitating event such as a scoring run, and widely believed to shape subsequent performance. Robert Vallerand, Paul Colavecchio, and Luc Pelletier's 1988 antecedents-consequences model gave the construct its decisive shape by insisting that momentum is a perception that must be distinguished from both its antecedents (the events that trigger it) and its consequences (the affective, motivational, and behavioral changes it produces). Jim Taylor and Andrew Demick's 1994 multidimensional model extended this into a 'momentum chain,' specifying how precipitating events interact with personal and situational factors to alter cognition, affect, physiology, and ultimately performance. Studying psychological momentum therefore means measuring perception as a mediator, not assuming that a hot streak automatically causes the next success.