College of Liberal Arts

Meghan McDonough

Assistant Professor

Academic Appointments:

• Assistant Professor, Department of Health and Kinesiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN (2006-present)

Research Interests:

Dr. McDonough’s research explores the role that social relationships play in physical activity, including how social factors such as friendship, acceptance, and social support contribute to motivational processes, and the effects that physical activity experiences have on relationships and well-being. Dr. McDonough’s research has examined these questions in a variety of populations including active youth and adults, breast cancer survivors, overweight adults, and Special Olympics participants. 

Memberships in Professional Organizations:

• North American Society for Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA)
• Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS)
• Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP)

Recent Publications:

• Sabiston, C.M., McDonough, M.H., Sedgwick, W.A., & Crocker, P.R.E. (in press). Muscle gains and emotional strains: Conflicting experiences of change among overweight women participating in an exercise intervention program. Qualitative Health Research.
• McDonough, M.H., Sabiston, C.M., & Crocker, P.R.E. (in press). An interpretative phenomenological examination of psychosocial changes among breast cancer survivors in their first season of dragon boating. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.
• Smith, A.L., & McDonough, M.H. (2008). Peers. In A.L. Smith & S.J.H. Biddle (Eds.) Youth physical activity and sedentary behavior: Challenges and solutions. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
• McDonough, M.H., Crocker, P.R.E. (2007). Testing self-determined motivation as a mediator of the relationship between psychological needs and affective and behavioral outcomes. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, 645-663.
• Sabiston, C.M., McDonough, M.H.*, & Crocker, P.R.E. (2007). Psycho-social experiences of breast cancer survivors involved in a dragon boat program:  Exploring links to positive psychological growth. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, 419-438.
• Paskevich, D.M., Dorsch, K.D., McDonough, M.H., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2007). Motivation in sport. In P.R.E. Crocker (Ed.). Introduction to sport psychology: A Canadian perspective (pp.72-101). Pearson Education Canada: Toronto, ON.
• Crocker, P.R.E., Sabiston, C.M., Kowalski, K.C, McDonough, M.H., & Kowalski, N. (2006). Longitudinal assessment of the relationship between physical self-concept and health related behaviour and emotion in adolescent girls. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 18, 185-200.
• McDonough, M.H., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2005). Sport participation motivation in young adolescent girls: The role of friendship quality and self-concept. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 76, 456-467.
• Farrell, R.J., Crocker, P.R.E., McDonough, M.H., & Sedgwick, W.A. (2004). The Driving Force: Motivation in Special Olympians. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 21, 153-166.
• Crocker, P.R.E., Hoar, S.D., McDonough, M.H., Kowalski, K.C., & Niefer, C.B. (2004). Emotional experience in youth sport. In M. Weiss (Ed.). Developmental sport and exercise psychology: A lifespan perspective (pp. 197-221). Fitness Information Technology, Inc: Morgantown, WV.
• Crocker, P.R.E., Kowalski, K.C., Hoar, S.D. & McDonough, M.H. (2004). Emotion in Sport across Adulthood. In M. Weiss (Ed.). Developmental sport and exercise psychology: A lifespan perspective. (pp. 333-355). Fitness Information Technology, Inc: Morgantown, WV.
• Crocker, P., Sabiston, C., Forrestor, S., Kowalski, N., Kowalski, K., McDonough, M. (2003). Predicting change in physical activity, dietary restraint, and physique anxiety in adolescent girls: Examining covariance in physical self-perceptions. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 94, 332-337.

Recent Refereed Presentations:

• McDonough, M.H., Hadd, V., Crocker, P.R.E., Tamminen, K.A., & Holt, N.L., (2008, June). Adolescent swimmers’ goals and stress appraisals across a swim season. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 30, S186.
• Dorsch, T.E., Smith, A.L., & McDonough, M.H. (2008, June). Parents’ experiences of child-to-parent socialization in youth sport. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 30, S164.
• Ullrich-French, S., McDonough, M.H., Smith, A.L., & Harper, W.A. (2008, March). Change in social connection predicts change in psychological outcomes in a youth development setting. Presented at the Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) conference, Chicago, IL.
• Smith, A.L., McDonough, M.H., Wisdom, S.A., & Ullrich-French, S. (2007, September). A review and synthesis of research on peers and youth physical activity behaviour. Presented at the 12th Eurpoean Congress of Sport Psychology, Halkidiki, Greece.
• McDonough, M.H., Sabiston, C.M., Sedgwick, W.A., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2007, June). Examining perceived barriers to exercise among overweight women: What is missing in our measures? Presented at the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) conference, Ottawa, ON.
• McDonough, M.H., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2007, June). Examining changes in psychological needs and self-determined motivation among adult dragon boat participants. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, S185.
• Sabiston, C.M., McDonough, M.H., Sedgwick, W.A., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2007, June). Muscle gains, emotional strains, and social deigns? Conflicting experiences of change among overweight women participating in an exercise intervention program. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, S200.
• Hadd, V., McDonough, M.H., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2007, June). Managing stressful sport transactions: Adolescents’ coping behaviours pre-, during, and post-races throughout a swim season. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 29, S166.
• McDonough, M.H., & Crocker, P.R.E. (2006, November). The role of relatedness in physical activity motivation, behaviour, and affective experiences: A self-determination theory perspective. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) conference, Halifax, NS.
• Sabiston, C.M., Hadd, V., McDonough, M.H., Crocker, P.R.E. (2006, November). Exploring physical self-perceptions, body image, and athletic identity with physically active breast cancer survivors: Do age, BMI, or treatment characteristics matter? Paper presented at the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) conference, Halifax, NS.
• Hadd, V., McDonough, M.H., Sabiston, C.M., Crocker, P.R.E. (2006, November). A multidimensional assessment of stress among breast cancer survivors: Development of a new instrument. Paper presented at the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) conference, Halifax, NS.