Ulster Sports Academy

Dr Tadhg Eoghan MacIntyre

Biography

Tadhg MacIntyre is the Course Director for the MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology at Ulster. He has been employed at the University of Ulster as a lecturer in sport and exercise science since 2005. In 1993, he completed his BA (Psych) at University College Dublin, continuing his studies there with a MA in 1996 and subsequently graduating with a PhD in 2007.

Research Interests

Tadhg’s research interests are focused in two areas: motor cognition and applied sport psychology interventions. Methodologies employed range from the qualitative (diary studies, focus groups & interviews) to the quantitative (laboratory experiments with dual-task methods). His understanding of sport from an athlete perspective has led to a combination of bottom-up (Expertise paradigm) and top-down (theory testing) approaches to research paradigms. While much of his focus has been on imagery research with expert samples, this is because imagery has been inextricably linked to action and action preparation, a body of research termed motor cognition.

Current Research Projects

Meta-cognition and expertise in sport
Motor imagery and Mental Travel
Long-term athlete development pathways & PST
Cognitive coping strategies of K2 Mountaineers
Professional practice issues in applied sport psychology

External Involvement

Member of the Professional Quality Assurance Panel for the Irish Institute of Sport.
Irish Institute of Sport-Professional Member
British Association of Sport Sciences – Accredited Member.
American Psychological Association – International Affiliate
International Review of Sport & Exercise Psychology-Editorial Board Member

Research Funding

Source: Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences
Project: Motor Cognition: An experimental investigation of visual and motor imagery in mental travel
Amount awarded: €48,000
Year(s): 2008-2010

Source: Irish Sports Council
Project: The development and validation of a Doping Attitudes and Behaviour Scale
Amount awarded: €30,000
Year(s): 2005-2008

Source: World Anti-Doping Agency (Social Science Research Grant
Project: The development and validation of a Doping Attitudes and Behaviour Scale
Amount awarded: $60,000
Year(s): 2005-2008

Source: UCD Seed Funding Research Programme
Project: Biomechanical and psychological aspects of golf putting
Amount awarded: €16,000
Year(s): 2006-2008

Source: Irish Sports Council Anti-Doping Committee
Project: Why do athletes cheat? An investigation of Irish Athletes’ Understanding of, and attitudes to, Cheating Behaviour in Sport. Research Associate.
Amount awarded: 11,500
Year(s): 2002-2004

Teaching Areas

Sport & Exercise Psychology
Motor Cognition
Professional Practice & Ethics in Applied Sport Psychology
Social Perspectives in Sport, Health & Physical Activity
Advanced Research Methods

Recent Publications

Moran, A., Guillot, A., MacIntyre, Tadhg and Collet, C. (2011) Re-imagining motor imagery: Building bridges between cognitive neuroscience and sportpsychology. British Journal of Psychology, 102 . [Journal article]

Collet, C., Guillot, A., Lebon, F., MacIntyre, Tadhg and Moran, A. (2011) Measuring Motor Imagery Using Psychometric,Behavioral, and Psychophysiological Tools. Exercise and Sport Science Reviews, 39 (2). pp. 85-92. [Journal article]

MacIntyre, Tadhg and Moran, Aidan (2010) Chapter 16: Meta-imagery processes among elite sport performers. In: The neurophysiological foundations of mental and motor imagery. Oxford University Press, pp. 227-244. ISBN 978-0-19-954625-1 [Book section]

MacIntyre, Tadhg and Moran, A. (2009) Meta-Imagery processes among elite sports performers. In: The neurophysiological foundations of mental and motor imagery. (Eds: Guillot, A. and Collet, C.), Oxford University Press, pp. 227-244. ISBN 978-0-19-954625-1 [Book section]

Moran, Aidan, Guerin, Suzanne, Kirby, Kate and MacIntyre, Tadhg (2008) The development and validation of a doping attitudes and behaviour scale. World Anti-Doping Agency (www.wada.ama.org). 40 pp. [Research report (external)]

Kirby, K, Guerin, S., Moran, A. and MacIntyre, Tadhg (2006) Breaking the rules: Sporting misbehaviour in an Irish context. Irish Psychologist, 32 . pp. 298-301. [Journal article]