- Sport and Exercise Psychology
- Adapted physical activity
- Social Aspects of Sport, Health, & Physical Education
Sport and Exercise Psychology
Sport and Exercise Psychology involves the scientific study of people and their behaviours in sport and exercise contexts and the practical applications of that knowledge. Sport and Exercise Psychology is an interdisciplinary field that is acknowledged as a core discipline within Kinesiology and Physical Education programs.
Most people study sport and exercise psychology with two objectives in mind: (1) to understand how psychological and social factors influence an individual’s behavioural outcomes (e.g., sport performance, exercise motivation) and (2) to understand how participation in sport and exercise influences psychological and social development, health, and well-being.
Sport Psychology Emphasis focuses on coaching psychology, youth involvement and development, sport-specific personality, motivation, arousal, anxiety, stress, aggression, group cohesion, psychological skills, and gender issues.
Exercise Psychology Emphasis focuses on exercise and physical activity issues associated with epidemiology, barriers and motives, social influences and social support, community, group, and individual interventions, self-esteem, body image, stress and coping, emotional well-being, quality of life, and special populations.
At McGill our sport and exercise psychology program focuses on a broad population base, including: elite or recreational athletes, youth and older adults, and people with disabilities and chronic diseases.
Professors in Sport and Exercise Psychology:
Adapted physical activity
Adapted physical activity is a branch of kinesiology sciences that focuses on an interdisciplinary understanding and the promotion of physical activity participation among people with disabilities.
This graduate program stream touches upon physical activity and sport participation of people living with one or multiple disabilities, including developmental, emotional, intellectual, and/or physical. Research within the adapted physical activity steam is primarily applied to real world physical activity and sport settings and is founded on theoretical approaches. Studies will center on motivation, self-determination, coaching, participation, and/or social inclusion of children, youth, or adults with disabilities within sport/physical activity contexts.
Professors in Adapted Physical Activity:
Social Aspects of Sport, Health, & Physical Education
Research in this area explores the practice and provision of sport and physical activity in diverse community contexts, including schools. We are mostly concerned with how sport, physical activity, and physical education can help to foster (or strain) the health and wellbeing of young people. We are also concerned with identifying social and historical patterns of discrimination as they relate to peoples’ engagement in sport and physical activity.
Potential research topics in this area include youth sport; physical activity patterns among youth and adolescents; Indigenous sport and physical culture.
Professors in Social Aspects of Sport, Health, & Physical Education:
For graduate program-related questions please contact the Administrative & Student Affairs Coordinator, studentaffairs.kpe [at] mcgill.ca (Sonia Masi) or the Graduate Program Director, studentaffairs.kpe [at] mcgill.ca (Dr. Shane Sweet).
