Brain on Sports Podcast: Ritual and its impact on athletes’ performance

On this week’s episode, Sam is joined by Juliana Schroeder, an assistant professor at Cal-Berkeley, to discuss the psychological impact of rituals in the sports world and elsewhere in everyday life.

“This is Your Brain on Sports” is a weekly podcast from Sports Illustrated in which SI executive editor Jon Wertheim and Tufts University psychology professor Sam Sommers explore the intersection of sports and human nature—what the world of sports has to teach us about who we are, what we care about and the forces that shape our behavior.

On this week’s episode, Sam is joined by Juliana Schroeder, an assistant professor at Cal, to discuss the psychological impact of rituals in the sports world and elsewhere in everyday life. From the subtle quirks of baseball players in the batter’s box to the shared pre-game ceremonies of an entire team or fan base, Schroeder reveals what we know about the tangible effects rituals of all kinds have on the efficiency and productivity of the athletes and people who practice them.

Listen below and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or on Stitcher, and check back every week for a new episode.