As an avid sports enthusiast, I have always been fascinated in how the top athletes manage to regularly perform to their best on the most important of stages. This interest led me to complete a Sport and Exercise Science degree at Staffordshire University in 2011.
I graduated with a first-class honour in 2014 and had found a particular interested within the mental side of sports performance. Hence, I completed a postgraduate diploma in Psychology at the University of Derby and then completed my MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology back at Staffordshire (with Distinction in 2018). For the next 4 years I completed a PhD titled ‘An Exploration of the Cognitive Dispositions and Mechanisms of Challenge and Threat: Enhancing an Understanding of Performance Under Pressure’ at Loughborough University supervised by Dr Jamie Barker, Dr Robin Jackson, Dr Karl Steptoe, and Dr Dave Fletcher.
I began working at Staffordshire University in 2021 in which time I have been awarded with my PhD (March 2023) and achieved my Fellowship in Higher Education award (June 2023). I am currently the co-programme leader for the Sport and Exercise Psychology Undergraduate BSc and also lead modules across a host of undergraduate courses as well as on our BPS accredited MSc course. I continue to conduct research within the field of psychophysiological stress and performance.
Professional memberships and activities
Graduate Membership of the British Psychological Society (GMBPSs)
Academic qualifications
- PHD ‘An Exploration of the Cognitive Dispositions and Mechanisms of Challenge and Threat: Enhancing an Understanding of Performance Under Pressure’ Loughborough University
- MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology, Staffordshire University
- Postgraduate Diploma in Psychology, University of Derby
- Postgraduate Certificate in Higher and Professional Education, Staffordshire University.
- BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Staffordshire University
Expertise
Psychophysiological Stress, Performance under pressure, Challenge and threat states, attention, decision making
Publications
Pointon, M., Walton, G., Turner, M., Lackenby, M., Barker, J., & Wilkinson, A. (2022). Information discernment and online reading behaviour: an experiment. Online Information Review, Doi: 10.1108/OIR-02-2021-0101
Wood, A. G., Wilkinson, A., Turner, M. J., Haslam, C. O., & Barker, J. B. (2021). Into the fire: Applying Rational Emotive Behavioral Coaching (REBC) to reduce irrational beliefs and stress in fire service personnel. International Journal of Stress Management, 28(3), 232. Doi: 10.1037/str0000228