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Enactive cognition emphasizes co‐constructive roles of humans and their environment in shaping cognitive processes. It is specifically engaged in the mental simulation of behaviors, enhancing the connection between perception and action. Here we investigated the core network of brain regions involved in enactive cognition as applied to mental simulations of physical exercise. We used a neuroimaging paradigm in which participants (N = 103) were required to project themselves running or plogging (running while picking‐up litter) along an image‐guided naturalistic trail. Using both univariate and multivariate brain imaging analyses, we find that a broad spectrum of brain activation discriminates between the mental simulation of plogging versus running. Critically, we show that self‐reported ratings of daily life running engagement and the quality of mental simulation (how well participants were able to imagine themselves running) modulate the brain reactivity to plogging versus running. Finally, we undertook functional connectivity analyses centered on the insular cortex, which is a key region in the dynamic interplay between neurocognitive processes. This analysis revealed increased positive and negative patterns of insular‐centered functional connectivity in the plogging condition (as compared to the running condition), thereby confirming the key role of the insular cortex in action simulation involving complex sets of mental mechanisms. Taken together, the present findings provide new insights into the brain networks involved in the enactive mental simulation of physical exercise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advent of digital technologies, online sports betting is spurring a fast‐growing expansion. In this study, we examined how sports betting availability modulates the brain connectivity of frequent sports bettors with [problem bettors (PB)] or without [non‐problem bettors (NPB)] problematic sports betting. We conducted functional connectivity analyses centred on the ventral anterior insular cortex (vAI), a brain region playing a key role in the dynamic interplay between reward‐based processes. We re‐analysed a dataset on sports betting availability undertaken in PB (n = 30) and NPB (n = 35). Across all participants, we observed that sports betting availability elicited positive vAI coupling with extended clusters of brain activation (encompassing the putamen, cerebellum, occipital, temporal, precentral and central operculum regions) and negative vAI coupling with the orbitofrontal cortex. Between‐group analyses showed increased positive vAI coupling in the PB group, as compared with the NPB group, in the left lateral occipital cortex, extending to the left inferior frontal gyrus, the anterior cingulate gyrus and the right frontal pole. Taken together, these results are in line with the central assumptions of triadic models of addictions, which posit that the insular cortex plays a pivotal role in promoting the drive and motivation to get a reward by 'hijacking' goal‐oriented processes toward addiction‐related cues. Taken together, these findings showed that vAI functional connectivity is sensitive not only to gambling availability but also to the status of problematic sport betting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhibitory retrieval has redefined the way that exposure therapy can help individuals cope with debilitative states of fear and anxiety. Here we propose that an inhibitory retrieval-based model of exposure therapy could also be applied to the context of sport competition. We first discuss the usefulness of applying inhibitory retrieval-based exposure to emotion regulation in sport environments and provide therapeutic strategies for adopting this approach for athletes with performance anxiety and states of fear of failure. This proposal is followed by a case description that illustrates how this inhibitory retrieval approach could be used to help athletes get better at coping with fear and anxiety during a sport competition. We conclude by providing further guidelines for helping practitioners apply the inhibitory retrieval approach while working with athletes who experience debilitative states of anxiety during sport competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the effects of personality and situational differences on superstition behaviours in sports at three non-professional competition levels. The participants were 219 athletes (169 males, 50 females). We measured superstition by the number and kind of superstitious rituals (SRs), degree of superstitious feeling, and ritual commitment (RC). We used a within-group design that involved manipulating competition importance and uncertainty using scenarios to examine changes in pre-game psychological tension and RC. We found that sport superstition is positively correlated with athletic identity and pre-game psychological tension. Level of competition affects RC. RC is greater when the uncertainty and importance of the game are greater. Moreover, within-variable mediation analysis revealed that state of psychological tension mediated the effect of both uncertainty and importance on RC. Collectively, the results of the present investigation offer empirical support for Neil's (1980) hypothesis that sport superstition acts as a 'psychological placebo'., Superstitious rituals (SRs) are defined as 'unusual, repetitive, rigid behavior that is perceived to have a positive effect by the actor, whereas in reality there is no causal link between [...]