The Sport Psych Show #337 Katja Rewitz - Exploit or Explore: Decision Making in Sport
Feb 16, 2026
Katja Rewitz, a second-year PhD student at the University of Hamburg studying decision making in sport, explores the explore versus exploit trade-off. She discusses how sensations, effort, fatigue and time pressure shape choices. Practical sport examples span shoes, tactics and tyre strategy. The conversation covers lab methods, coach implications and plans for future studies.
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Explore Versus Exploit Is A Dynamic Choice
- The explore–exploit trade-off frames decisions as choosing between a known option and searching for unknown alternatives to maximise reward.
- Katja uses a restaurant/pizza example to show how internal states and changing environments make the choice dynamic, not binary.
Sport Is Ripe For Explore Exploit Analysis
- Sports presents frequent explore–exploit choices at micro and macro levels because it's a fast-changing, uncertain environment.
- Katja highlights examples like shoe choice, staying with a team, and in-game strategy shifts to illustrate breadth.
Prepare Athletes For Decision Triggers
- Coaches should map which factors (time pressure, fatigue, score) will influence athlete decisions and prepare responses in advance.
- Katja suggests knowing an athlete's tendency could let a coach tailor interventions for in-game decision quality.