Behavior Change, Sport and Health Psychology

Overview

Core fields of research

Physical activity, health and wellbeing

Research areas

Behaviour change, health, and well-being across the lifespan

Faculty

Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences

Research group description

Our group conducts research into psychological factors that underlie health behaviors, performance and well-being outcomes. In addition, we develop, evaluate and implement theory and evidence-based interventions to improve these outcomes in practice.

Current

Projects

Related projects

Project

Early Detection of Mental Health Issues among Finnish Athletes

Screening mental health risks among Finnish athletes with translated Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), referred to as the Finnish Mood Scale (FIMS).

Project

ProAct - A collaborative theory-based intervention to promote physical activity among sedentary parents and their children

Given links between physical activity in children and adults to better health and reduced disease risk, this project aims to test the efficacy of a behavioural intervention to increase physical activity participation in low-active children and their paren

Project

Better Health at Home – Optimized Human-Centered Care of Predialysis and Home Dialysis Patients (BOC)

Research project to optimize patient journeys in care for chronic kidney disease and home dialysis

Project

Lifestyle and Physical Activity as Part of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment (ELO - Elintavat ja liikkuminen osana uniapnean hoitoa)

Research project investigating effects of lifestyle interventions on obstructive sleep apnea, led by Finnish Lung Health Association (Filha ry).

Project

Head Impacts in Finnish Elite Women's Football

Kuvaus kuvaus kuvaus

Project

Grit in Competitive Sport

Explores grit’s role in athletes’ motivation and long-term goal pursuit.

Project

Perfectionism in Competitive Sports

This project aims to examine how perfectionism related variables are linked to psychological distress and if self-compassion can have a moderating role in mental health of athletes.

Members

Research group

Group leaders

Keegan Knittle

Associate professor

Montse Ruiz Cerezo

Senior Lecturer

Martin Hagger

Professor

Members

Taru Lintunen

Professor, Emerita

Juuso Jussila

Grant researcher, conducting grant-funded research

Marja Kokkonen

Senior University Lecturer

Ella Hellsten

Doctoral Researcher

Tuija Hyyrynen

Doctoral Researcher

Hanna-Mari Toivonen

University Teacher

Sanna Turakka

Doctoral Student

Fanny Brandstack

PhD Student

JYU

Will Critchley

PhD Student

JYU

Lasse Eini

PhD Student

JYU

Malin Ekholm

PhD Student

University of Helsinki

Weldon Green

PhD Student

JYU

Konsta Kuusinen

PhD Student

JYU

Hanna Lahti-Renkola

PhD Student

JYU

Inna Syrykh

PhD Student

JYU

Wathsala Jayarathne

PhD Student

JYU

External members

Kyra Hamilton

Professor, Title of Docent

Griffith University

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Mary Hassandra

Associate Professor, Title of Docent

University of Thessaly

Dan Phipps

Assistant Professor, Title of Docent

Bond University

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Publications

Publications

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

A comparative study of vape, pouch, and cigarette related beliefs and behaviors and their determinants in young Finnish people

Journal of Health Psychology.

Phipps, Daniel J.

Knittle, Keegan

Hagger, Martin S.

Hamilton, Kyra

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

A four-phase framework for culturally responsive vaccine messaging

Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine.

Hamilton, Kyra

Balla, Jessica

Arroyo, Amber Carmen

Bámaca, Mayra Y.

Epperson, Anna E.

Manzo, Rosa D.

Peña, Mercedes

Hagger, Martin S.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

A qualitative investigation of experiences of care and illness perceptions related to self-management behaviors in chronic kidney disease

Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine.

Ekholm, Malin

Hämäläinen, Henna

Rauta, Virpi

Knittle, Keegan

Publication

2026

A randomized controlled trial testing a digital intervention to promote weight loss and weight loss maintenance

Health Psychology.

Kwasnicka, Dominika

Palacz-Poborczyk, Iga

Verboon, Peter

Luszczynska, Aleksandra

Quested, Eleanor

Robinson, Suzanne

Gao, Lan

Januszewicz, Anna

Hagger, Martin S.

Pagoto, Sherry

Idziak, Paulina

Naughton, Felix

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Applying behaviour change science to change motivational interaction in physical activity and sports professionals: stepwise development and acceptability pre-test of the MotiStyleSport intervention

Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine.

Palsola, Minttu

Renko, Elina

Puolamäki, Melina

Absetz, Pilvikki

Haerens, Leen

Lintunen, Taru

Potthoff, Sebastian

Saurio, Kaisa

Hankonen, Nelli

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Are the cognitive benefits of walking and cycling overstated? A critical perspective on the WHO policy brief on active mobility

Perspectives in Public Health.

Jussila, J. J.

Haapala, E. A.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Attachment orientations predicting loneliness: The role of self-determined and non-self-determined solitude

Journal of social and personal relationships.

O’Brien, Samantha G.

Brown, Daniel J.

Bryant, Ashleigh B.

Hampton, Hugh A.

Phipps, Daniel J.

Keech, Jacob J.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Demand and experimenter bias and the ego-depletion effect

Current Psychology.

Zerhouni, Oulmann

Morgado, Nicolas

Urdapilleta, Isabel

Hagger, Martin S.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Development of a Blended Physical Activity Intervention for Office Employees Using Intervention Mapping: Intervention Development Study

JMIR Human Factors.

Sun, Yan

Ou, Alison YT.

Shi, Tony Lei

Gao, Yang

Hagger, Martin S.

Xiong, Zhennan

Chen, Xiang-yan

Fong, Shirley SM

Zhong, Linda L.D.

Xie, Yao Jie

Baker, Julien S.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Differentiating the Determinants of Ever Having Used a Vape Versus Use Frequency: A Hurdle Modelling Approach

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine.

Phipps, Daniel J.

Griffith, Zoe

Hagger, Martin S.

Hamilton, Kyra

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Does music support executive functions and affective responses during acute exercise? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Frontiers in Psychology.

Danso, Andrew

Vigl, Julia

Koehler, Friederike

Knittle, Keegan

Bamford, Joshua S.

Nijhuis, Patti

Haapala, Eero A.

Wong, Ming Yu Claudia

Wright, Shannon E.

Baltazar, Margarida

Serres, Nora

Hansen, Niels Chr.

Schiavio, Andrea

Saarikallio, Suvi

Luck, Geoff

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Effectiveness of a Blended Intervention to Promote Physical Activity Among Office Employees: Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Sun, Yan

Gao, Yang

Ou, Alison Y. T.

Wang, Xueying

Xie, Yaojie

Chen, Xiang-yan

Fong, Shirley S. M.

Huang, Wendy Yajun

Zhang, Chun-Qing

Baker, Julien S.

Hagger, Martin S.

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