Research Team

John Curtin Distinguished Professor Nikos Ntoumanis
Curtin University - School of Psychology

Prof. Ntoumanis, the project's chief investigator, is widely recognized as one of the leading researchers in the field of motivation, applied to health and exercise goals promotion. His research draws from theories and models in social, health and educational psychology and focuses on personal and contextual factors that optimize motivation and health behavior change.

Professor Constantine Sedikides
University of Southampton - Department of Psychology

The focus of Prof. Sedikides research is on self and identity (including narcissism) and their interplay with emotion (especially nostalgia) as well as motivation, close relationships, and group or organizational processes. His research has culminated in over 400 publications and 15 volumes, including leading work on motivation and goal striving.

Associate Professor Daniel Gucciardi
Curtin University - School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science

A/Prof. Gucciardi's research has focused on personal (e.g., mental toughness), social (e.g., interpersonal relationships), and contextual (e.g., organizational stressors) factors that foster or forestall goal attainment and well-being across a broad range of achievement contexts including sport, education, and the workplace.

Professor Cecilie Thorgesen-Ntoumani
Curtin University - School of Psychology

Prof. Thorgesen-Ntoumani has an extensive track record of designing, conducting and evaluating field intervention studies pertaining to health behavior change. She has conducted and published numerous studies in this area, and has examined psychological factors that underpin the success and failures of such intervention programs. In addition, she has been actively involved in ground-breaking research on the “dark side” of motivation in sport, which investigated the impact of controlling communication styles and psychological need thwarting in the sporting context.

Associate Professor Ben Jackson
University of Western Australia - School of Human Sciences

A/Prof. Jackson's research activity has provided a number of important conceptual, methodological, and analytical advancements in the field of goal pursuit and motivation. He has authored a body of work broadly related to goal pursuit, self-regulation, and motivational processes. Collectively, this work has provided new insight into the conscious, non-conscious, and interpersonal factors that shape individuals’ motivation, persistence, and goal directed behavior.

Doctor Hugh Riddell
Curtin University - School of Psychology

To date the majority of Dr. Riddell's research has focused on the cognitive processes underpinning visually guided behavior in the presence of other people. Broadly his research interests involve the factors that drive and motivate decision processes, particularly in interpersonal situations.

Berke Sezer (PhD Candidate)
Curtin University - School of Pyschology

Mr Sezer's PhD project will involve investigating the effect of goal motivation and perceived goal attainability on the achievement of weight-related goals.