Accepting PhD Students

PhD projects

Maria’s main research interest is morality in sport. She has conducted research on this topic for the last 15 years. Some of the research questions Maria is trying to answer are: What are the personal and social factors that are associated with prosocial behaviours, such as helping and supporting one’s teammates, and playing by the rules? Why are some athletes inclined to cheat, be aggressive toward other players, and use illegal substances to enhance their performance? How can we create an environment where prosocial behaviours can flourish, and what are the consequences of prosocial and antisocial behaviours for the recipient? Dr Kavussanu’s second research interest is motivation in sport. She is interested in understanding the conditions that optimise athletes’ motivation in training and competition contexts. Finally, she is interested in anxiety and performance under pressure.

Dr Kavussanu has supervised or co-supervised 8 PhD students to completion, and most of them are now university lecturers.