Virtual Reality in Sport and Exercise Psychology Research

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) has become increasingly common in research in fields such as psychology, medicine, and education. In sport and exercise psychology, VR has been applied to topics such as motor control and learning, psychological training, and promoting health-related behaviours. Although progress is expected, few studies in Japan have systematically organised these findings within sport and exercise psychology or discussed future research directions. This study adopted a three-domain framework―consisting of movement psychology, applied sport psychology, and health exercise psychology―to review the current state of VR research and explore future directions. VR is a powerful tool for advancing research across multiple domains of sport and exercise psychology, enhancing movement skills and performance, and supporting stress management, exercise adherence, and mental health. Developing personalised VR environments and integrating AI technologies are expected to yield innovative research designs and deeper insights into the human mind and body.