PhD Research.
My PhD project is based at the University of St Andrews, investigating the cognitive mechanisms affecting performance under pressure in dancers.
The objective of this project is to identify the factors that contribute to performance decrements often observed in pressurised environments, particularly in dance performers.
Evidence from recent studies in sports science suggests that the quality and accuracy of movement can be significantly affected by the performer’s attentional focus during task execution. Research indicates that an external focus of attention - directed towards the outcomes of one's movements on the environment - leads to superior performance under pressure, compared to an internal focus of attention, which involves concentrating on one’s own body movements (Wulf, 2013; Zachry et al., 2005). These findings have also been observed in the domain of music, with recent empirical evidence highlighting similar effects in skilled piano performance (Jentzsch & Braun, 2022). This PhD project seeks to systematically explore the mechanisms underlying these phenomena, with the broader aim of developing evidence-based interventions to mitigate performance anxiety and reduce the likelihood of performance breakdowns under stress.
The supervisory team consists of two cognitive neuroscience experts with substantial experience in the application of physiological methods, such as mobile EEG, to study behaviour in naturalistic environments (Ladouce et al., 2017), alongside proficiency in advanced statistical approaches (e.g., Bayesian inference, multi-level modelling). The project will leverage the complementary expertise of the supervisory team in performance science, drawing on their research in both high-level music performance (e.g., Jentzsch & Braun, 2022) and elite sports performance (e.g., Carey, Stone, Hunter & Donaldson, 2021).
Throughout my PhD, I will be conducting research with dancers at all levels of engagement, throughout all stages of their career. My training is further supported by the EASTBIO Doctoral Training Partnership, in collaboration with UKRI and BBSRC, which provides the funding for this project. My supervisory team includes Professor Ines Jentzsch, Professor David Donaldson, and Dr Bethany Whiteside, whose combined expertise will guide the project to contribute to both theoretical understanding and practical solutions for performance under pressure for dancers.
Read about the initial findings from Study 1 here.
Postgraduate Research.
For my MSc dissertation project, I collected data as part of a PhD project at KU Leuven in Belgium. I used this data to shape my own research.
My research looked at the impact of coach and team captain identity leadership on psychological safety in footballers. Additionally, team identification was introduced as a potential mediator of the relationship between perceived engagement in identity leadership by football coaches and team captains, and psychological safety in footballers.
It was found that perceived engagement in identity leadership by coaches predicts psychological safety and team identification in footballers. Perceived engagement in identity leadership by team captains predicts team identification in footballers, but not their psychological safety. There was no mediation effect of team identification on relationships between identity leadership and psychological safety.
Findings from my research demonstrate the importance of football coaches and team captains engaging in dimensions of identity leadership, as this enhances their players’ team identification. Importantly, team identification is a predictor of psychological safety in footballers. It is therefore recommended that leaders (whether from above or within) engage in dimensions of identity leadership, as this will improve team identification amongst the group. This enhanced team identification will then improve players’ psychological safety. It can be ascertained that coaches’ and team captain’s engagement in identity leadership will have demonstrable positive outcomes for footballers.
Read about my MSc dissertation here.
Undergraduate Research.
My undergraduate research measured changes in lifestyle behaviours during and after COVID-19 lockdowns.
Personality types of participants were identified, allowing us to see whether certain individuals are more susceptible to changes in lifestyle behaviours dependant on the lockdown context. This association between personality type and lifestyle behaviours allows for targeted interventions for at-risk populations.
COVID-19 is an infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Ammar et al., 2020). To help prevent the spread of the disease, governments throughout the world imposed lockdowns which limited the movement and interaction of populations (Robinson et al., 2020). Existing research in relation to the COVID-19 lockdowns suggests that social distancing and self-isolation generate a burden throughout the population, and scientific data is needed to aid in identifying potential risk factors for psychosocial strain on the population (Ammar et al., 2020). Cross-culturally, the data suggests that COVID-19 lockdowns have had a negative effect on lifestyle behaviours such as sleep pattern and internet usage, particularly in students (Ali et al., 2021). Extensive research has been carried out investigating changes in lifestyle behaviours in specific populations throughout the world, such as children with obesity in Italy (see Pietrobelli et al., 2020), Pakistani students (see Ali et al., 2021), Spanish adolescents (see Carrillo et al., 2021) and French chronic coronary syndrome patients (see Cransac-Miet et al., 2021), however little research is existing for more general populations.
The study measured life satisfaction, mental wellbeing, social participation, mood, physical activity, sleep quality and personality. Each topic was measured using retrospective self-reporting for January – March 2021 (during a strict lockdown in the UK), and for November – December 2021 (after a strict lockdown in the UK). Personality was used as a potential predictor of changes in the outcome variables between the start and end of 2021.
Here are four key findings from the results:
Mental wellbeing was significantly negatively affected during lockdown
Social participation was significantly negatively affected during lockdown
Sleep quality was poor during lockdown and still is poor after lockdown. Interventions may be required
Physical activity has declined since lockdown
The above key findings are useful for future lockdowns, as we know that mental wellbeing and social participation are statistically significantly negatively affected during lockdown and social isolation. Interventions can be implemented to counteract these negative changes. It is also useful to know that sleep quality was poor during lockdown and is still suffering now. While it is difficult to pinpoint direct causation for this, we can draw from the previous suggestion that increased physical activity improves sleep quality. Public health authorities should also be aware that people who usually lead an active lifestyle, might be particularly susceptible to such disruptions (Martinez-de-Quel et al., 2021).