Behavior Change, Sport and Health Psychology

Overview

Research group type

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. Further details are forthcoming...

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.

Project

BEQAH: Between Quantum Algorithms and Hardware

Project BEQAH

Members

Research group

Group leaders

Keegan Knittle

Associate professor

Montse Ruiz Cerezo

Senior Lecturer

Martin Hagger

Professor

Members

Taru Lintunen

Professor, Emerita

Daniel Phipps

Senior Researcher

Juuso Jussila

Grant researcher, conducting grant-funded research

Eeva Kettunen

Postdoctoral Researcher

Marja Kokkonen

Senior Lecturer

Ella Hellsten

Doctoral Researcher

Eleonoora Hintsa Figueiredo

Grant researcher, post-graduate study right

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

External members

Kyra Hamilton

Professor, Title of Docent

Griffith University

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Mary Hassandra

Associate Professor, Title of Docent

University of Thessaly

Publications

Publications

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

How do traits and dispositional constructs relate to intentions and behavior? The trait-informed attitude, cognition, and intention tenet (TACIT)

Social Science and Medicine.

Hagger, Martin S.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Leadership in Elite Football: A Case Study of Leadership Characteristics in a Men’s Football National Team

Scandinavian Sport Studies Forum.

Holopainen, Sakari

Szeróvay, Mihály

Kontinen, Niilo

Kokkonen, Marja

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

MuSt Stay in the Game: Self-Regulation Strategies for Performance Optimization in Professional Ice Hockey

International Journal of Sport Psychology.

Sacklin, Atte

Robazza, Claudio

Ruiz, Montse C.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Perfectionism and athletes’ mental health: The mediating role of self-compassion

Performance Enhancement & Health.

Turakka, Sanna

White, Ross G.

Robazza, Claudio

Keinonen, Katariina

Ruiz, Montse C.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Reconsidering the Mental Health Benefits of Active Mobility: A Critical Perspective on the World Health Organization’s “Win–Win” Narrative

Journal of Physical Activity and Health.

Jussila, Juuso, J.

Appelqvist-Schmidlechner, Kaija

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Rethinking social media and mental health : The role of emotion regulation difficulties

Computers in Human Behavior.

Brown, Daniel J.

Scott, Riley

Ireland, Renee

Harness, Jacqueline

Phipps, Daniel J.

Keech, Jacob J.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Self‐Determination Theory and Workplace Outcomes: A Meta‐Analysis

Stress and Health.

Hagger, Martin S.

McAnally, Star Kaylyn

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Socio‐Structural Factors as Predictors of Parents' Intentions to Enrol Their Children in Swimming Lessons

Health Promotion Journal of Australia.

Hamilton, Kyra

Peden, Amy E.

Smith, Stephanie R.

Keech, Jacob J.

Phipps, Daniel J.

Hagger, Martin S.

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Take the Stairs to Improve Your Fitness – A Project for Developing a Stair Test Mobile Application for Monitoring Fitness

HEPA Europe Conference. Baltic Journal of Sport and Health Sciences.

Kettunen, Eeva

Karavirta, Laura

Hyvärinen, Matti

Kajan, Niina

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

Tarkoitus ei pyhitä keinoja liikunnan ja mielenterveyden edistämisessä

Tiedonportti : Jyväskylän yliopiston tieteen digilehti.

Jussila, Juuso

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

The effect of gender and social support on student-athlete and regular student burnout trajectories across lower secondary school

Learning and Individual Differences.

Saarinen, Milla

Phipps, Daniel J.

Kuokkanen, Joni

Widlund, Anna

Bentzen, Marte

Romar, Jan Erik

Publication

2026

Available through Open Access

The effects of interventions on sedentary behaviour among people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis informing the 2025 update of the EULAR recommendations for physical activity in people with inflammato..

EULAR Rheumatology Open.

Rausch, Osthoff Anne-Kathrin

Juhl, Carsten

Brodin, Nina

Orlinov, Denislav

Knittle, Keegan

Thomsen, Tanja

Metsios, George

Schoones, Jan W.

Ferreira, Ricardo

Vlieland, Theodora P. M. Vliet

Niedermann, Karin

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