About me
I'm a mixed-methods researcher interested in why we choose to
pursue certain recreational activities, how those activities make us feel,
and how those feelings relate to performance, enjoyment, and well-being.
I completed my PhD with Dr. Katherine Tamminen
in the Toronto Sport and Performance Psychology
Laboratory. My dissertation research spanned the topics of emotions, moods, and emotion regulation in sports and videogames. I used a combination of
quantitative (e.g., surveys, experience sampling, structural equation modeling) and qualitative (e.g., in-depth semi-structured interviews) methods to contribute
to a better understanding of the affective experiences of athletes and gamers, both while in-game, and while navigating the world in their daily lives.
Prior to this, I completed my Honours BSc in psychology at the University of Toronto working with Dr. Michael Inzlicht. For my undergraduate thesis project, I investigated the neural underpinnings of pre-game 'performance' rituals, and how they influence our neural response to performance failures (available here!). I then built on these findings for my master's research project wherein I sought out high-performance athletes' own perspectives on why they engage in these seemingly peculiar pre-game behaviours (also available here, or free on my ResearchGate page!).