Geoff P Lovell

University of the Sunshine Coast | USC · School of Social Sciences, Discipline of Psychology

Moods have been shown to be predictive of athletic performance and a reflection of mental health status. The aims of our study were (a) to compare pre-race mood scores of triathletes with population norms; (b) to compare pre-race mood scores of triathletes grouped by gender and age bands; (c) to explore whether six distinct mood profile clusters re...

Achieve the mindset of a superior athlete with Sport Psychology Essentials! This book is packed with research-based strategies for developing the mental skills necessary to reach your sport performance goals. Coeditor Dave Collins, PhD, is an expert sport psychology practitioner who has been a consultant to more than 80 world-class athletes or Olym...

Representations of yoga within media have become increasingly idealised, depicting typical practitioners as young, thin, and physically competent. While previous content analyses of yoga have focused on still images, social media platforms such as Instagram encourage the use of video to enhance viewer engagement. Video may contain features which re...

Objective Cognitive behavioural case formulations (CBCFs) have been widely used in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). However, sparse research has examined how clients experience the shared formulation process. The current study aimed explored the role of CBCFs in an outpatient student-staffed community clinic. Method A 30 adult participants age...

Mood profiling is used in a variety of sporting contexts to, for example, predict performance from pre-performance mood, monitor psychological responses to training load, injury, or travel across time zones, as a general indicator of psychological wellbeing, or to catalyze discussion between a sport psychologist and an athlete. The purpose of the p...

Objectives The use of imagery to improve golf performance is well established and recognised as a key psychological technique in developing and maintaining excellence. However, the relationship between a golfer’s imagery ability and their imagery use is still poorly understood. The current study examined differences in participants vividness of mov...

BACKGROUND Physical activity and a healthy diet may delay the aging process and ultra-endurance exercise is an extreme form of physical activity. Telomeres are protective DNA sequences located at the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes which shorten as we age. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships of lifetime physical act...

Horseracing stable staff have a multifaceted role, acting as care givers, skilled athletes and equine experts, resulting in inherent high emotional, physical and mental demands. Despite these demands, and reports of significant injury risk to those working in racing at ground level, there has been no research investigating the psychological risk fa...

We apply self-determination theory (SDT) to explain how psychological outcomes on participants in ‘Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation’ (REDD +) projects can provide lessons for other forest landscape management programmes. Evidence from REDD + case studies suggests that negative outcomes may result from three design factor...

Objective: To investigate self-reported practice, beliefs, and barriers regarding prescription of dietary change for mental health from a range of mental health practitioners across Australia. Method: An online survey was completed by 193 Australian mental health practitioners. Results: Over 50% of practitioners reported prescribing dietary change...

Physiotherapists report using a range of psychosocial strategies in their practice, yet, barriers to implementation include lack of time, limited knowledge, and minimal training. This research aimed to establish what training physiotherapists have had with regards to psychosocial strategies, why they think they would benefit from more training, wha...

As yoga continues to increase in global popularity, idealized representations of a thin, athletic ‘yoga body’ have also become more prominent across commercial media. To examine how yoga is typically represented on social media, a content analysis of the posts of female yoga practitioners on Instagram was undertaken. Images were sourced using hasht...

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a prevalent chronic condition with a large demand for treatment. This community outpatient study examined the effectiveness of a group intervention version of the established one-to-one cognitive therapy derived from the Clark and Wells model for SAD. Questionnaires were completed pre-treatment and post-treatment fo...

Background Premature ejaculation (PE) and erectile dysfunction (ED) are prevalent sexual problems, with evidence to suggest variation across sexual orientation. Contributing factors have traditionally been divided into organic and psychological categories. While limited research has found support for the influence of metacognitive beliefs, these st...

Objectives This study investigated associations between triathletes’ sports-specific metacognitive beliefs, metacognitive processes measured prior to a triathlon (n = 193), and in-event flow measured post event (n = 76).. Method The Metacognitive questionnaires were administered to triathletes one day prior to the event, and the flow scale was adm...

Minimal research has examined psychological processes underpinning ultra-marathon runners’ performance. This study examined the relationships between mental toughness and self-efficacy with performance in an elite sample of ultra-marathon runners competing in the 2019 Hawaiian Ultra Running Team’s Trail 100-mile endurance run (HURT100). The Mental...

Due to COVID-19, horseracing was required to cease all activity in March 2020; however, little is known about the pandemic’s impact on staff working practices. This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on staff working practices during the initial lockdown phases. An online survey about working conditions during lockdown was answered by 287 pa...

This study employed a qualitative in-match recording technique to understand how A-grade amateur golfers (n = 8) experience psycho-behavioral momentum during competitive matchplay. The aims were to capture, in real-time, thoughts and emotions associated with perceived changes to psycho-behavioral momentum, to understand what high-standard golfers p...

Background High rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are documented within refugee populations. Although research supports effectiveness of trauma-focused cognitive behaviour therapy (TF-CBT) among Western populations, little research exists for its efficacy among refugees living in camps and settlements in developing nations. Aims To in...

This study was designed to compare systemic O2 utilization (V̇O2), and changes in tissue O2 extraction [deoxyhemoglobin (ΔHHb)] in the vastus lateralis (VL), gastrocnemius (GAST) and pre-frontal cortex (PFC) tissue; between aerobically short-term trained (STT) and long-term trained (LTT) older men (40 - 60 yr) who were matched for current training...

Objectives: Despite the increasing popularity of beach soccer, few studies have examined goal scoring strategies during match-play. The aims of this study were to examine the different types of goals scored during an international tournament and determine what type of goals were associated with team performance. Methods: Twelve national teams were...

Background: This study aimed to determine what physiotherapists perceive are the benefits of using psychosocial strategies in their own practice, and whether perceived barriers extend beyond practitioner and contextual barriers. Methods: Content analysis of two open-ended questions was conducted. Australian physiotherapists (n = 206) provided wr...

Psychological strategies are a promising adjunct to pharmacological treatment for symptoms, including depression and anxiety associated with Parkinson's disease. In this study, we investigated perceptions and reported behaviors of occupational therapists regarding the use of psychosocial strategies during their practice with clients with Parkinson'...

The aims of this research were to determine if metacognitive beliefs predicted Intrusive Visual Imagery (IVI) in elite athletes, and if this was consistent across performance contexts. To address these aims, 110 elite cricket and AFL players completed the 30-item metacognitions questionnaire and intrusive visual imagery questionnaire before a train...

Objective Sport‐related concussion (SRC) is a multi‐faceted issue that should be considered in context, with consideration for the biological, psychological, and sociocultural (i.e., biopsychosocial) factors which influence the incidence of injury in contact sports such as rugby union (rugby). Through the concurrent assessment of individual variabl...

The purpose of this study was to develop a sport-specific self-report measure of metacognitive beliefs: The Metacognitive Beliefs about Performances Questionnaire (MBPQ). Firstly, principal components analysis and reliability tests showed that the MBPQ retained a reliable five-factor solution: positive beliefs about competitive worry; positive beli...

Objectives: To investigate what factors physiotherapists consider when deciding whether to use psychosocial strategies with their patients and what factors they consider when choosing a specific approach. Methods: Content analysis of two open-ended questions contained within a cross-sectional survey was conducted. Australian physiotherapists (N...

Background: Research has addressed the usefulness of psychosocial strategies within physiotherapy, as part of a biopsychosocial model. A lack of current research in Australia concerning the views of physiotherapists, from a range of practice areas, regarding a variety of strategies, suggests the need for broader exploration. Methods: This resear...

Senior executives' decisions can have a substantial impact on their own lives, their families, their organizations' workers and employees, and society. This quantitative study (1) investigated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) at work and psychological well-being (PWB) in 142 senior executives as antecedent of th...

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate a sport-specific self-report measure of metacognitive processes: The Metacognitive Processes during Performance Questionnaire (MPPQ). Design: Three sub studies were used to: a) test the internal validity of the MPPQ in an online athlete sample; b) retest the internal validity of the MPPQ in a tr...

Senior executives’ decisions can have a substantial impact on their own lives, their families, their organizations’ workers and employees, and society. This quantitative study (1) investigated the relationship between basic psychological need satisfaction (BPNS) at work and psychological well-being (PWB) in 142 senior executives as antecedent of th...

Coaching is a critical factor in the development, training and success of athletes, yet coaching of athletes with disability is significantly underrepresented in the research literature. This research explored the education, training and professional development experiences of coaches of elite athletes with disability. Semi-structured interviews we...

BACKGROUND: There is currently no information on the lifetime diet of ultra-endurance exercisers. This study describes changes in diet across the lifetime of current ultra-endurance exercisers and the relationship between diet and physical activity (specifically ultra-endurance exercise [UEE]). METHODS: Lifetime physical activity and diet were ass...

Sport for elite athletes with disability is gaining recognition comparable to its non-disabled counterpart, with Paralympians considered among the world’s elite athletes. The value of sports coaching to the development, training and success of athletes with disability is similarly recognised. This research explored the views and experiences of admi...

Many community-living older adults experience the condition of malnutrition and the causes are complex and multi-factorial. This study examined nutrition risk in a sample of community-living older Australians (n = 77, age ≥65 years) using an online, self-administered survey consisting of two validated questionnaires (SCREEN II and SF-12). We found...

This study investigated triathletes’ metacognitions and mindfulness traits ( N = 232) measured prior to competition, and flow ( N = 63), post competition. The primary aim was to investigate whether metacognitions (measured by the Metacognitions Questionnaire) would associate with mindfulness facets (measured by the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionna...

This study describes the physical activity across and within the lifetime of current ultra-endurance exercisers. Participants (n = 115, % female = 42, age range 21 to 74 years) completed a modified version of the Lifetime Physical Activity Questionnaire (LPAQ) to assess physical activity over six life periods (5-12, 13-18, 19-30, 31-45, 46-60 and 6...

Background: Soccer is one of the most popular worldwide sports and performance is dependentuponmanyfactors including technical, biomechanical, tactical, psychological and physiological aspects. Previous investigations have identified that the frequency of goals increases as matches progress, however, previous research in this area is limited as it...

This study investigated how metacognitive beliefs in triathletes covary with state anxiety dimensions, prior to competition. It also examined how metacognitions relate to concentration, after controlling for state anxiety. Regression analyses revealed that specific metacognitive beliefs were differentially predictive of state anxiety dimensions and...

Since its inception in 2001, the best possible selves (BPS) activity has been the focus of more than 30 studies which have shown it to be a viable intervention for increasing optimism, positive affect, health and well-being. It is timely to critically review the findings from the BPS literature and suggest directions for future research. The majori...

This study aimed to determine if systemic O2 utilization (V[Combining Dot Above]O2) and tissue oxygen extraction (deoxyhemoglobin [HHb]) in the vastus lateralis (VL), gastrocnemius (GAST) and pre-frontal cortex (PFC) were different during exercise between short-term trained (STT 6 - 24 months) and long-term trained (LTT > 5 yr) young women while co...

Dyslexia is known as a Learning Disability (LD), a reading disability and a neurological disability; yet there is confusion about dyslexia and the associated support required in learning. Challenges are experienced by adult students with dyslexia in both social and organisational contexts. This study explored the life experiences of adult students...

Exercise is an effective evidenced-based intervention for a range of mental health conditions, however sparse research has investigated the exercise prescription behaviours of mental health practitioners as a collective, and the barriers faced in prescribing exercise for mental health. A self-report survey was completed online by 325 mental health...

This paper explored the psychological mechanisms by which leisure enhances well-being by using sentence-by-sentence coding of the best-possible-selves text produced by 112 participants. Of the 1097 sentences, 41% were coded as leisure indicating that leisure is an important component of optimal well-being. The data showed that Australians have sign...

Involuntary imagery has received scant attention in the sport psychology literature, with most investigations concentrating on deliberate imagery use. This is surprising considering research has demonstrated that specific types of involuntary imagery exists and can elicit both facilitative and negative effects upon psychological and affective state...

Aim: The aim of the present study was to utilise a systems thinking approach to explore the perceived responsibilities for identifying and treating concussion held by different actors across the community rugby system (e.g., players, coaches, parents, medics, referees, and management), as well as their role-specific concussion management strategie...

Aims: To examine differences in depression, anxiety, and stress across people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (t2d) classified according to a four level processed food addiction (PFA) severity indicator dichotomy. Methods: Four hundred and eight participants with a t2d diagnoses completed an online survey including the Yale Food Addiction Scale (Y...

Malnutrition is present among community-living older adults (aged ≥ 65 years), yet little research has examined how they view malnutrition. This poster summarises survey results of 344 community-living older adults about perceived signs of malnutrition, sources of malnutrition information and body weight perception.

Abstract: Background: Community-living older adults may be susceptible to malnutrition (under nutrition) due to both physiological and non-physiological causes. The condition develops over time and the early signs and symptoms may not be obvious. Therefore awareness and early identification of nutrition risk factors may prevent, or at least slow, t...

It is now widely recognized that athletes with disability compete at an elite level which parallels that experienced by non-disabled athletes. The importance of quality coaching to develop an athlete's full potential is similarly recognized. However, research in the area of coaching athletes with disability is still lacking compared to its counterp...

Broader contextual factors that influence concussion management have tended to be overlooked. To address this, the present study used a sociotechnical systems approach to identify perceived responsibilities and applied strategies for three domains of concussion management (i.e., prevention, identification and treatment). Participants were 118 membe...

Purpose Aerobic endurance training (ET) increases systemic and peripheral oxygen utilisation over time, the adaptation pattern not being linear. However, the timing and mechanisms of changes in oxygen utilisation, associated with training beyond one year are not known. This study tested the hypothesis that in women aged 40–60 years performing the s...

The wellbeing of community living older adults (CLOAs) can be influenced by diet. Although many older people can maintain a reasonable diet, those who do not are at nutritional risk. Left unaddressed, nutritional risk can lead to the state of malnutrition, a harmful condition that is difficult to treat. Malnutrition screening can lead to improved n...

Many older adults living in their own homes are at nutrition risk which, left untreated, can lead to the state of malnutrition. To reduce the prevalence of malnutrition among community-living older adults (CLOAs), risk factors should be identified and addressed early via malnutrition screening. The aim of this study was to identify barriers and ena...

This study examined a graduated severity level approach to food addiction classification against associations with World Health Organization obesity classifications (body mass index, kg/m2) among 408 people with type 2 diabetes. A survey including the Yale Food Addiction Scale and several demographic questions demonstrated four distinct Yale Food A...

Purpose: To systematically review and analyze the literature exploring the knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs of physiotherapists towards the use of psychological interventions in their practice. Methods: A systematic search was conducted, of articles published between January 1996 and February 2016, using selected electronic databases...

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of increasing the duration of the recovery periods separating serial bouts of small sided games (SSG) of football on technical skills (TS). Twelve semi-professional footballers (mean � SD; age 21 � 3 years; VO2peak 64 � 7 mL�min�kg�1; playing experience 15 � 3 years) completed two SSG sess...

Objectification theory has yielded mixed results when utilized to explain male’s body image concerns. This study investigated whether a revised model of objectification theory would represent the processes associated with male’s engagement in muscle dysmorphia (MD) characteristics. Specifically the mediating role of body shame, which has previously...

Evidence-based practice guidelines recommend routine malnutrition screening of community living elderly, yet little is known about screening practice. Therefore, the aim of this observational study was to investigate malnutrition screening practice of Australian dietitians working in community settings. A cross-sectional online survey with both clo...

AimTo explore malnutrition screening practices by dietitians working with community dwelling older adults in Australia. MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional online survey of dietitians providing dietetic care to older adults (aged 65 years) was conducted in November to December 2014 using a three-part 25-item questionnaire with scaled, closed and o...

Purpose: Small sided games (SSG) of football are an effective and efficient format to simultaneously train the physiological, technical, and tactical components of football. The duration of the recovery period between bouts of SSG will affect the physiological response to subsequent bouts. It was hypothesised that decreasing the duration of recove...

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Aims: To assess the relationship between a food addiction (FA) model and psychological distress among a type 2 diabetes (t2d) sample. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 334 participants with t2d diagnoses were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire. We measured variables of psychological distress implementing the Depression Anxiety and S...

Despite growing awareness of the issue of sport-related concussion, the extent to which different participants in rugby union (e.g., players, coaches, parents, medics, and referees) understand how to prevent concussion is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine how people with different roles in community rugby union prevent sport-related con...

Background Researchers have tested the beliefs of sportspeople and sports medicine specialists that cognitive strategies influence strength performance. Few investigators have synthesised the literature. Objectives The specific objectives were to review evidence regarding (a) the cognitive strategy–strength performance relationship; (b) participant...

We compared mothers who exercised predominantly in group settings, those that exercised predominantly in individual settings, and those that exercised equally in group and individual contexts upon: (a) satisfaction of basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness); (b) self-determined exercise motivation; and (c) psychological we...

This paper examined differences in familial/friend surrogate decision makers’ (N = 93) post-bereavement grief and guilt associated with decisions to either prioritize comfort or longevity in determining end-of-life care for decisionally incapacitated adult palliative loved ones. Results demonstrated that participants prioritizing the longevity of l...

Issues addressed: This study examined the effectiveness of a brief educational intervention in increasing parental knowledge of childhood obesity risk factors and ability to correctly identify their child’s weight status. Methods: Eighty parents were randomly allocated to an experimental group given an obesity pamphlet or a control group given a st...

This qualitative research interviewed 22 C-level executives to explore the theoretical constituents of relatedness need satisfaction, suggested by literature as a predictor of individuals’ motivation, behavior, and well-being, for the first time in a sample of senior executives. Joint activity, time, continuity, and common concern were identified a...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between athletes’ (N=209) intrusive visual imagery and vividness of visual imagery ability. The study also examined athletes’ differences in level of intrusive visual imagery according to competitive level (recreational, university, county, and national). A Pearson bivariate correlation...

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the efficacy of a music-based psychological intervention for improving psychological wellbeing of men. Male participants (N = 31) completed the Outcome Rating Scales (ORS), measuring psychological wellbeing at Sessions 1, 6, and 12 of the music group based intervention. Measures of importance of musi...

Abstract We examined physical activity stage of change, physical activity behaviour, and role overload in different stages of motherhood in a predominantly Australian sample. Neither physical activity behaviour, stages of physical activity change, nor role overload significantly differed across motherhood groups. Role overload was significantly hig...

Transitioning to university involves a major life change that can have implications for physical and mental health. This study had three objectives: first, assess the mental health and health-behavior participation of Australian university students; second, evaluate clustering of health behaviors; and third, examine how mental health relates to hea...

Postnatal psychological well-being is a complex issue characterized by major changes in physical, social, and emotional health. In response to addressing limitations of previous research this study aimed to: (i) quantify psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress in a large sample of Australian and New Zealand mothers and to compare to...

Abstract Introduction As more than just an enjoyable activity, team sport offers a range of invaluable benefits to players and has the potential to provide personal, physical and social growth. Despite the many benefits of team sport participation, these benefits do not come without some cost. Although there are strict rules and guidelines in all c...

Abstract This investigation examined precompetitive sleep behaviour of 103 athletes and how it relates to precompetitive mood and subsequent performance. Results revealed that on the night before competition athletes slept well under the recommended target of eight hours of sleep for healthy adults, with almost 70% of athletes experiencing poorer s...

The aim of this investigation was to examine the decision making behavior of soccer officials (referees) in English Premiership matches to establish whether a bias, as perceived by the media and professional players, does or does not exist. Using notational analysis, this investigation used three trained professional soccer referees to assess the d...