In general terms, psycho-social factors affect an individual psychologically or socially. If one thinks of psychosocial factors as an interaction between people & their social environment involving psychological processes, those factors likely relate to:

• autonomy & control
• involvement, participation & empowerment
• social capital, social cohesion, trust & belonging
• social support (including specific types of support, e.g. emotional), social networks & receiving positive feedback
• social diversity & tolerance
• vulnerability, security or safety
• demands, role conflicts or role imbalance

As with the previous section, psycho-social factors that influence women’s & girls’ participation & leadership in sport & physical activity can be sorted into the four categories of intrapersonal factors, interpersonal factors, environmental factors & policy-related factors.

** NOTE: Some factors may fit in more than one category, but replication has been avoided for the purposes of this resource. **