The Effect of Sport & Exercise Participation on
Psychosocial Development & Function on       

While performance enhancement is a popular and commonly studied topic in sport and exercise psychology, researchers also believe it is important to consider the impact that participation in exercise and sport has on the individuals engaged in athletic- and health-related activities.

This area of sport and exercise psychology research, examines how participation in sport and exercise may impact psychological development and function (e.g., psychological well-being, mental health, social support, etc.)

Completed and ongoing projects:

• The effect of experiential education programs on psychosocial development among various populatoins (e.g. athletes/teams, at-resk youth, corporate groups).


• The effect of exercise on individuals with fibromyalgia, aging populations, and those with serious mental illness.

Student Projects:

• Exploration of the factors related to the career development of collegiate student-athletes - Kristin L. Ihle-Helledy, Ph.D.

• The effects of exercise on an outpatient psychiatric population - Sarah Parker

Department of Human Movement Sciences