HESS Research
Exercise Physiology
Mobility and Exercise Blood Flow in Older Adults
Men and women are needed to participate in research that will study how vascular function affects walking ability in healthy older adults.
The Women’s Wellness Outreach Program
The Women’s Wellness Outreach Program is dedicated to helping women cope with stressors in their life through mindfulness based exercise, breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.
Sex Differences in the Stress Response
The purpose of the proposed study is to compare the efficacy of the published Trier Social Stress Protocol and the Beilock Stress Protocol.
The Effect of Pilates and Yoga on Wellness Parameters in College-age Women
The wellness parameters that will be assessed pre-post 8 week intervention programs (2 different interventions and a control group)
Exercise & Sport Psychology
Physical Activity
The importance of personality and achievement motivation theories such as Elliot’s (1999) achievement goal framework in the context of lifetime physical activity as well as competitive sport is my main research focus.
Motor Behavior
Motor Development
Motor development is especially concerned with changes in movement (motor behavior) across the lifespan and the processes that underlie these most important milestones. At the HESS our emphasis is on the acquisition of fundamental motor patterns of both typically developing children and those who are at-risk of delay.
Motor Skill Competence and Physical Activity
This research examines the dynamic relationship between motor skill competence and physical activity.
Motor Control
Theoretical research interests include the role of attentional capacity and information processes in motor learning and movement production.
Motor Learning
Factors that influence learning such as, instructional cues, modeling and transfer of learning.
Sport Management
Current Faculty Topics:
- Escalation of Commitment in Intercollegiate Athletics
- College Athlete Identity Development
- Stakeholder Perceptions of Intercollegiate Athletics
- Organizational Change and Rebranding through Athletics
Strength & Conditioning
Examines the strength and conditioning aspects of baseball pitching and the effects of strength and conditioning programs.
Teaching Physical Education and Sport
Pedagogy
Effects of varying levels of physical activity on children (specifically those that are at-risk for being overweight).
Sport Sociology
Sport sociology research examines the relationship between sport patterns and cultural and social patterns and practices. Popular variables of interest are age, gender, socioeconomic status and ethnicity.
Assessing Pre-Service Teachers Content Knowledge Via a Service Learning Environment
Service Learning is a unique curriculum that allows students to learn through experience. This experiential setting provides unique research opportunities regarding the cognitive and affective changes that occur in pre-service teachers.
Children’s Commitment to Physical Activity
This research project is currently being conducted as part of a Fun & Fit program for overweight, lower socio-economic children. Specifically, this project will examine the impact of the program on children’s sense of enjoyment and commitment to physical activity.
Measuring Behaviors and Attitudes in the N.A.S.P.E.
To date, no comprehensive assessment measure of the National Standards for Physical Education (N.A.S.P.E.) has been developed. The purpose of this line of research is to establish an instrument that will help with the assessment of the affective components inherent in the standards, namely the behaviors and attitudes of students enrolled in physical education in the public school.