Remco C J Polman

• DPhil psychology, york, UK
• Pro Vice-Chancellor Research & Executive Dean Institute of Health and Wellbeing at Federation University

The demanding training schedules in esports can disrupt regular sleep patterns and contribute to daytime sleepiness. The present study investigated casual and competitive esports players' sleep behaviour and lifestyle habits to understand the associations between training schedules and sleep characteristics. The study used a cross-sectional online...

The professionalisation of esports has led to increased investment in high-performance environments. However, differences in resources and infrastructure between major and minor regions pose significant challenges to achieving competitive parity. In this study, we aimed to explore key success factors in high-performance esports environments and dev...

Background/Objectives : Adherence to exercise programs is required to reap their established benefits and to sustain Quality of Life (QoL). This study explored People Living with Dementia’s (PLWD) adherence to a Tai Chi exercise program and its effects on their QoL. The study included assessment of factors affecting adherence to a Tai Chi exercise...

Introduction Entering higher education (HE) is one of the most significant transitions in a student’s life and is negatively impacted by any disparity between expectation and initial experience when joining their course. Method The current study explored how the students’ experiences of learning and teaching practices in their previous educational...

In addition to being aware of being in a dream, dreamers in a lucid dream can sometimes also intentionally execute predetermined actions and manipulate the dream’s narrative. These features open the opportunity to use lucid dreaming (LD) as a recreational, therapeutic and skill acquisition tool. This study conducted semistructured interviews with n...

During lucid dreaming (LD), dreamers are aware of experiencing a dream and may consciously influence its content. This study used an online questionnaire to investigate the LD frequency and applications in 193 adolescent athletes and non-athletes (17.40 ± 2.09 years; 46% athletes, 54% controls). Given the critical role that sleep plays in adolescen...

Background The ongoing global crisis of Higher Education (HE) institutions during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period has increased the likelihood of enduring psychological stressors for staff. This study aimed to identify factors associated with job insecurity, burnout, psychological distress and coping amongst staff working at HE institutions globa...

Background The ongoing global crisis of Higher Education (HE) institutions during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period has increased the likelihood of enduring psychological stressors for staff. This study aimed to identify factors associated with job insecurity, burnout, psychological distress and coping amongst staff working at HE institutions globa...

Background. Sports psychologists believe sports commitment is important to indicate the desire to continue or cease participation in sports from a psychosocial perspective. The Sports Commitment Questionnaire-2 (SCQ-2) has been developed and validated to investigate athletes' commitment in sports settings in Western countries but not in Malaysia. H...

The evolution of 4G and 5G digital technologies is (re)shaping contemporary methods of coaching by removing the requirement for coaches to be physically present at practice and competition venues. This technological advance provides opportunities for sports organisations, especially those with limited resources, to implement innovative learning and...

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to investigate the longitudinal development of physical education (PE) teacher efficacy (TE) of preservice teachers. Method : Participants included 287 preservice teachers from six U.K. higher education institutions. Data were collected over 3 years using an online questionnaire that included a validated PE te...

Purpose: Investigate if caffeine consumption would change PIC contribution to motoneuron firing at increased contraction intensities and after repetitive sustained maximal contractions. Methods: Before and after the consumption of 6 mg/kg of caffeine or placebo, sixteen individuals performed isometric triangular-shaped ramp dorsiflexion contract...

Objective: This study aimed to develop, and pilot esports-adapted coping effectiveness training (E-CET) and measure its influence on coping effectiveness (global and specific), subjective performance, mental health (psychological distress and wellbeing), and resilience. Design: Five elite male League of Legends players competing in the League of...

Remote coaching via the use of digital technologies has been utilized within Paralympic Sports since 2015 to address challenges experienced by coaches. These technologies have connected coaches and athletes in real time, alleviating time and travel costs. However, very little is known about the experience of coaching in these environments. Therefor...

Introduction Teaching efficacy describes the belief in a teacher's ability to promote learning and this belief is an invaluable asset for all teachers. This study examined the contextual influences that predict the teaching efficacy of first-year undergraduate PE students wishing to enter teacher training programs. Method Using a mixed methods stu...

Background The successful use of extended reality (XR) in sport is highly dependent on the extent to which it can represent the perception–action couplings that exist in the performance setting. However, there are many unknowns regarding the effectiveness of XR technology which is limiting its adoption in sport. Therefore, providing high-performanc...

Esports is a growing phenomenon that is capturing the attention of individuals worldwide, and has grown to provide professional and lucrative careers for those who reach the upper echelons. One question that arises, is how esports athletes develop the necessary skills required to improve and compete. This perspective piece opens the door to skill a...

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training exists to improve supportive behaviours towards peers, increase mental health literacy, and reduce stigma. Community sport clubs have potential to successfully deliver mental health programs. This study investigated the effectiveness of online MHFA training undertaken by members of the rugby community and eva...

Introduction We tested two strategies that hypothetically increase serotonin availability (α-lactalbumin consumption and a remote submaximal handgrip contraction) on estimates of persistent inward currents (PICs) amplitude of soleus muscle in healthy participants. Methods With a randomised, double-blind, and cross-over design, 13 healthy participa...

Purpose The neurotransmitter serotonin has a strong effect on behaviour and motor control. Regarding motor control, serotonin contributes to the development of fatigue and is also involved in the ability of motor neurones to operate across a large range of forces (gain control). The consumption of tryptophan-rich supplements (such as α-lactalbumin)...

In 2018, two thirds of Australian adults were overweight or obese, increasing the risk Type II diabetes, which was the 9th leading cause of death in Australian men. Sports clubs provide a powerful and comfortable gender-sensitised environment to engage men for health promotion. In Queensland, rugby league is the number one spectated sport and predo...

Background: There is evidence that high-fibre diets have significant health benefits, although the effect of increasing fibre on individuals' appetite, satiety, and gastrointestinal comfort is not well established, nor is its acceptability and feasibility. Methods: This mixed-methods feasibility randomised control trial included 38 participants all...

Personal tutoring is renowned for the positive role it can play in supporting student satisfaction, engagement and attainment outcomes in higher education. Surprisingly though, few studies have specifically investigated the demands of this role from the perspective of the personal tutor. Through the theoretical lens of Role Theory, this study explo...

A lucid dream is a dream during which the dreamer becomes aware of the fact that they are experiencing a dream. The higher awareness and cognitive traits which accompany lucid dreams offer individuals a unique opportunity to use this practice to rehearse waking skills. This scoping review aimed to summarize existing evidence on the effectiveness of...

Emotions and emotion regulation within athletic populations have been explored and examined by researchers and practitioners for many years. However, no research within the field of sport psychology has utilised a quantifiable measure of sportspeople’s tendency to use, and perceived efficacy of, interpersonal strategies (i.e., regulating one’s own...

It is important to examine changes in driving performance and driver behavior with increasing age to improve road safety. The main purpose of this study was to explore if there were any differences in a group of young drivers (n=36, Mage=32) and a group of elderly drivers (n =40, Mage=72) on driving performance and driving skills on a number of dri...

The number of people affected by dementia across the world is estimated to grow over the coming decades. It is a condition that leads to global and nonreversible cognitive impairment. As well as creating dependency in everyday activities, dementia increases the risk of older people experiencing a fall. Falls are globally recognized as a public heal...

Currently, measures of quality of life used with older people with dementia (PWD) are mainly health related. Health is not an actual attribute of but a means to attain quality of life. The Investigating Choice Experiments for the Preferences of Older People - CAPability index (ICECAP-O) measures attributes of quality of life. While its construct va...

Extended reality is an umbrella term used to describe three computer-generated technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Extended reality is an emerging technology that has been utilised in many high-performance domains including psychology, medicine and the military, with the aim of enhancing perceptual-cognitive...

Objectives This study aimed to determine whether elite cricket umpires' decisions contribute to home advantage via leg-before-wicket decisions. Design Leg-before-wicket decisions (n = 4971) from actual elite level cricket matches in Australia between 2009 and 2016 were analysed using a binomial logistic regression to predict the umpires' leg-befor...

Objectives Previous studies have shown that sport officials’ decisions can be impacted by biases associated with expectations. The aim of this study was to determine whether elite cricket umpires’ decisions are also influenced by expectations associated with batter skill. Methods LBW decisions (n = 5578) from actual elite level cricket matches in...

This study examined the influence of 7 high school esports developmental programs on student self-regulation, growth mindset, positive youth development (PYD), perceived general health and physical activity (PA), and sport behaviour. A total of 188 students (male n = 120; female n = 68) originally participated (89 enrolled in an esports program in...

The current study aimed to qualitatively investigate the perceived determinants of success in professional esports athletes. Guided by the bioecological model (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006), thematic analysis was used to explore elite esports athletes’ perceptions of success determinants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven elite...

Throughout adolescence and early adulthood, talented athletes must dedicate increasing personal resources to their sport. Recent empirical research found that applying Role Strain Theory (RST) was useful to contextualize the combined experiences of international junior golfers, acrobats, gymnasts, and Australian rules footballers and how they coped...

The aims of the present study were twofold. First, to investigate self-reported social support, self-regulation, and psychological skill use in esports athletes (e-athletes) compared to traditional athletes. Second, to determine if self-reported social support, self-regulation, and psychological skill use influenced e-athlete in-game rank. An onlin...

Objective The current study aimed to longitudinally examine the stressors, stress appraisal, coping, and coping effectiveness experienced by elite esports athletes. Design Six elite male League of Legends (LoL) athletes, competing in the Oceanic Challenger Series (OCS), completed diaries over the 2020 competitive season (87 days). Method Athletes...

This presentation was part of "The Psychology of Elite Esports Athletes and Coaches Symposium" at the ISSP 15th World Congress in Taipei.

This study examined the specificity hypothesis by examining the association between two specific motor competence test batteries [Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) and Test of Motor Competence (TMC)] in a sample of young children. In addition, we explored the factorial structure of the MABC and TMC. A total of 80 children participated...

This study examined the specificity hypothesis by examining the association between two specific motor competence test batteries [Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) and Test of Motor Competence (TMC)] in a sample of young children. In addition, we explored the factorial structure of the MABC and TMC. A total of 80 children participated...

Two behavioral change-based strategies for promoting adherence to physical activity (PA) suggested to have the greatest potential are the pedometer and Motivational Interviewing (MI). However, there are no comparisons between these two strategies identifying which one is more effective for improving PA adherence. This systematic review and meta-ana...

For special populations such as people with a mental health issue or learning disability, a disconnect between the ability to accurately monitor and regulate exercise behaviour can lead to reduced levels of physical activity, which, in turn, is associated with additional physical or mental health problems. Activity pacing is a strategy used in clin...

Understanding how individuals navigate challenging accuracy demands required to register a legal jump is important in furthering knowledge of competitive long jumping. Identification of coordination tendencies unique to each individual emphasises the need to examine the presence of unique movement solutions and presents important information for in...

To evaluate interventions designed to improve the quality of life of people with dementia (PWD), there is a need for psychometrically validated instruments. We tested the psychometric properties of the ICEpop CAPability measure for Older people (ICECAP-O) as a self-report measure of quality of life with PWD. We used data from a randomized controlle...

A recent strategy by national sport governing bodies to maximize success at global levels has been through talent transfer (TT) programs. TT occurs when a high performing athlete's involvement in a sport-in which they have invested substantial time, effort, and resources-comes to an end, and they transfer this experience to a new sport. Research ex...

A recent strategy by national sport governing bodies to maximize success at global levels has been through talent transfer (TT) programs. TT occurs when a high performing athlete's involvement in a sport-in which they have invested substantial time, effort, and resources-comes to an end, and they transfer this experience to a new sport. Research ex...

Background There are numerous health and social benefits of physical activity (PA) participation, yet refugees who have settled into destination countries like Australia are less likely to play sport or exercise, or reach recommended daily PA levels if they do. There may be various correlates of PA which impact on participation, however cultural at...

Understanding performance of athletes in competition is required for enhancing the quality of how athletes co-adapt to the specific, changing constraints of those environments. In long jumping, for example, an athlete must co-adapt with these constraints while also meeting the challenging accuracy demands of the sport. Examining then how long jumpe...

We investigated the association between obesity, self-reported physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and perceived health in esports players, and the influence of player in-game rank. Data was collected with an online survey with an international participant sample of esports players representing five esports and all skill leve...

Background: Recently, a focus has been placed on investigating the potential benefits of adherence to a ketogenic diet in enhancing body composition, physical health, psychological well-being, and performance of athletes from various sporting disciplines. As the available research is yet to be collated and analyzed in a single review, this scoping...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to understand what influenced people living with dementia and their family carers' adherence to the home-based component of a Tai Chi exercise intervention. Method: Dyads, of people living with dementia and their family carers, who participated in the intervention arm of the Tai Chi for people living with de...

Objectives Contextual factors can influence the way sports officials apply unambiguous rules. The aim of this study was to better understand the leg-before-wicket (LBW) decision-making behaviour of elite cricket umpires and determine whether their behaviour changes according to the format of the game in which they are adjudicating. Methods LBW dec...

It is well established that elite sports performers encounter multiple stressors during their careers. However, limited research has specifically investigated developmental, organisational, and competitive transitional experiences of international junior elite athletes. Through the application of Role Strain Theory (RST), this study extended the sp...

Background: The PAPHIO study; a randomized controlled trial with 2X2 crossover design will implement a self-directed physical activity program in which participants will engage in self-monitoring and receive motivational interviewing to enhance physical activity adherence. The study aims to determine the effects of 24 weeks self-directed activity...

This study explored stress and coping in electronic sports (esports) athletes and the influence of mental toughness (MT), as defined by two prominent conceptualizations: the 4/6Cs and Mental Toughness Index (MTI) frameworks. Participants were 316 esports athletes, ranked in the top 40% of one of five major esports: Defense of the Ancients 2, League...

Objectives Two studies investigated expert-novice differences in information-seeking behaviour, cognitions and performance during cycling time trials (TT). Study 1 examined trained and novice cyclist’s cognitions whilst performing a TT, using a Think Aloud (TA) protocol and eye-tracking techniques. Study 2 investigated expertise differences during...

Background: Low-carbohydrate (LC) diets are an effective method for treating obesity and reducing cardiometabolic risk. However, exposure to LC diets is associated with reductions in muscle mass and increased osteoporosis risk in obese individuals. The combination of exercise with a LC diet appears to attenuate muscle mass loss induced by LC diets...

The objective of this study was to understand the experiences of people living with dementia and their informal carers’ taking part together (in dyads) in Tai Chi classes and the aspects influencing their adherence. Dyads’ experiences of taking part in Tai Chi classes for 20 weeks within the TACIT Trial were explored through class observations ( n...

Understanding performance behaviours provides useful information for practitioners that can assist with the design of tasks to enhance the specificity of practice. In this study, the experiential knowledge of six elite long jump coaches was investigated using a constructivist grounded theory approach, with the aim of furthering our understanding of...

Purpose: We determined the effects of CWI on long-term adaptations and post-exercise molecular responses in skeletal muscle before and after resistance training. Methods: Sixteen males (22.9 ± 4.6 y; 85.1 ± 17.9 kg; mean ± SD) performed resistance training (3 d·wk-1) for 7 wk, with each session followed by either CWI (15 min at 10°C, COLD group,...

There is growing evidence that leaders’ effectiveness derives in part from their creation of a sense of identity that is shared by members of a group they are attempting to lead (i.e., their identity entrepreneurship). Little is known, however, about the impact of identity entrepreneurship in sport and exercise settings, particularly in relation to...

This study examined a path analysis of adolescent athletes’ individual differences in perceived stress reactivity, competition appraisals, emotions, coping, and performance satisfaction. The study aimed to extend an analysis by Nicholls et al. (2012) and further validate the use of the Perceived Stress Reactivity Scale for Adolescent Athletes (PSRS...

Student athletes experience multiple stressors relating to both their sporting and academic commitments. Individual differences play a significant role in how well student athletes cope with the demands they face. When assessing individual differences in stress reactivity, there are a lack of valid alternatives to costly and time-consuming lab-base...

Although physical activity participation has numerous physiological and psychological benefits, inactivity rates remain high, and a greater understanding of the factors that drive participation is needed. Growing evidence indicates that (a) the strength of individuals’ social identification as a member of a particular physical activity group (e.g.,...

A fundamental aspect of everyday function is the ability to simultaneously execute both cognitive and motor tasks. The ability to perform such tasks is commonly assessed using a dual-task paradigm that has the capacity to manipulate both cognitive and motor components of an action. Dual-task performance provides an opportunity to obtain an insight...

Background Gait difficulties are common and frequently devastating to people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). These difficulties are often followed by an increased risk of falls, leading to injury, hospitalization and mortality. The dysfunction in the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor circuits and reduced activity in the premotor and primary motor...

eSport is a growing industry in terms of its players, spectators and economic value and will be included in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although interest initially in eSport was mainly associated with younger males, eSport has the potential to bring about health behaviour change across the wider population of users. This paper discusses the potential...

Using a holistic perspective on athlete talent development, this study examines the impact of role strain on the life satisfaction in various life domains of junior elite Australian Rules Football players. One hundred and twelve talent-identified male Australian Rules Football players (Mage = 16.8; SD = .71) completed measures of role strain and mu...

Exercise is effective in preventing falls amongst older adults. However, few studies have included people living with dementia and their carers and explored their experiences. The aim of this paper is to explore what affects the acceptability of exercise interventions to better meet the needs of people with dementia and their carers as a dyad. Obse...

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate time-trial (TT) performance in the presence of one competitor and in a group with competitors of various abilities. Methods: In a randomized order, 24 participants performed a 5-km cycling TT individually (IND), with one similarly matched participant (1v1), and in a group of four participants (...

Behavioral change theories have been used to support interventions that increase both motivation for and adherence to physical activity programs for breast cancer survivors. Most of the programs can improve psychological health-related quality of life. Depressive and anxious symptoms seem to be associated with some stressors, such as the perception...

Growing evidence suggests that social identities may have profound implications for physical activity participation. Real-world examinations of this relationship have, however, been lacking, with research predominantly examining intentions and hypothetical scenarios. To address this shortcoming and further advance understanding in this area, the pr...

Sport and exercise participation exert a positive effect on numerous aspects of individuals’ health. Although sport and exercise leaders have generally been observed to play a key role in shaping group members’ behavior, our understanding of their impact on group members’ attendance in sport and exercise sessions is limited. To address this, and bu...

Cambridge Core - Social Psychology - Applied Social Psychology - edited by Linda Steg

We investigated (1) the relationship between Type D personality, stress intensity appraisal of a self-selected stressor, coping, and perceived coping effectiveness and (2) the relationship between Type D personality and performance. In study one, 482 athletes completed the Type D personality questionnaire (DS14), stress thermometer and MCOPE in rel...

This is the dataset for study 1. (SAV)

This is the dataset for study 2. (SAV)

Framed in cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotions (Lazarus, 1999), this study aimed to test how coping mediated the relationship between competitive anxiety and sport commitment in a sample of adolescent athletes. Five-hundred adolescents ( M = 16.42; SD = 1.54) participated in our study. Participants completed competitive anxiety, cop...

Social capital's measurement has been limited and an effective scale is needed. This research employed focus groups and interviews and a panel of experts to provide understanding and items for a social capital scale in sport and recreation setting. After a pilot study the Club Social Capital Scale (CSCS) was completed by 1,079 members of sport and...

Issue addressed: Exercising outdoors provide beneficial effect on mental and physical health for all ages. However, few older people exercise outdoors other than walking. While outdoor gyms have become increasingly common in Australia, limited outdoor exercise equipment specifically designed for older people is available in public spaces. We have...

Introduction. Coaching behaviour, motivational climate and its influence towards performance satisfaction are important in understanding the development and growth of athletes. In general, positive coaching behaviours could help in enhancing the motivational climate and satisfaction of athletes while negative coaching behaviour might have the oppos...