Katie Gunnell (Sabbatical)

Research Interests

I am interested in understanding the psychological correlates and mechanisms of psychological health and behaviour across various populations including youth, adults, and individuals diagnosed with osteoporosis. I examine all aspects of the psychological health continuum including ill-being (e.g., symptoms of depression), hedonic well-being (e.g., positive affect), and eudaimonic well-being (e.g., vitality). The behaviours I am interested in understanding include physical activity and recreational screen time (e.g., watching TV, playing video games). In an effort to better understand how to enhance psychological health and physical activity and decrease screen time, I am particularly interested in psychological needs (e.g., competence, autonomy, and relatedness) and motivation as mechanisms for change. In a secondary line of research, I am interested in psychometrics and quantitative statistics.

Selected publications

Gunnell, K. E., Mosewich, A. D., McEwen, C. E., Eklund, R. C., & Crocker, P. R. E (2017). Don’t be so hard on yourself! Changes in self-compassion during the first year of university are associated with changes in well-being. Personality and Individual Differences, 107, 43-48. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2016.11.032.

Gunnell, K. E., Flament, M. F., Buchholz, A., Henderson, K. A., Obeid, N, Schubert, N., & Goldfield, G. S. (2016). Examining the bidirectional relationship between physical activity, screen time, and symptoms of anxiety and depression over time during adolescence. Preventive Medicine, 88, 147-152. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.04.002.

Gunnell, K. E., Bélanger, M., & Brunet, J. (2016). A tale of two models: changes in psychological need satisfaction and physical activity over 3 years. Health Psychology, 35, 167-177. doi. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hea0000259.

Gunnell, K. E., Gareau, A., & Gaudreau, P. (2016). Introduction to factor analysis and structural equation modelling. In N. Ntoumanis, & N. D. Myers (Eds.). An Introduction to Intermediate and Advanced Statistical Analyses for Sport and Exercise Scientists (pp. 79-99). Chichester, United Kingdom; Wiley.

Gunnell, K. E., Schellenberg, B. J. I. Wilson, P. M., Crocker, P. R. E., Mack, D. E., & Zumbo, B. D. (2014). A review of validity evidence presented in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology (2002-2012): Misconceptions and recommendations for validation research. In B. D. Zumbo & K. H. Chan (Eds.). Validity and validation in social, behavioral, and health sciences (pp137-156). New York, NY: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-07794-9_8

Gunnell, K. E., Crocker, P. R. E., Mack, D. E., Wilson, P. M., & Zumbo, B. D. (2014). Goal contents, motivation, psychological need satisfaction, well-being and physical activity over 6-months: A test of Self-Determination Theory. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 15, 19-29. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2013.08.005.