About
Research
Email: carla.meijen@stmarys.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8240 4232
Biography
Carla is an HCPC registered sport and exercise psychologist and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She graduated with an MSc in Social Psychology from the University of Amsterdam, followed by an MSc in Performance Psychology from the University of Edinburgh. She completed her PhD at Staffordshire University, where she focused on challenge and threat states, examining athletes’ cognitive, affective, and cardiovascular responses to demanding situations.
Carla teaches sport psychology at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Her research focuses on the psychological aspects of endurance performance and challenge and threat states in athletes. She is particularly passionate about how psychological strategies (such self-talk, if-then planning, goal-setting) can be made accessible to the endurance participants, as well as researching how strategies are used to help enhance psychological factors such as motivation and self-efficacy. As a sport psychologist Carla has worked with athletes from a wide range of sports and levels, and she has applied sport psychology to other performance settings.
If you are interested in doing a PhD with Carla on the psychology of endurance performance and/or challenge and threat states, please contact her directly.
Research
Areas of research supervision
- Endurance performance
- Challenge and threat states in performance
- Psyching teams
Research profile
PhD Research Supervision
- Britta Sorensen (ongoing). Examining the effectiveness of reflective practice, self-regulatory and cognitive strategies to enhance sport-specific risk and pain management during ultra-endurance and endurance performance. St Mary’s University.
- Dr Paul Anstiss (2019). Self-efficacy in endurance performance. University of Kent
- Dr Stephen Earl (2017). The role of young adolescents’ psychological needs at secondary school: Applying basic psychological needs theory. University of Kent
- Dr Alister McCormick (2016) Psychologically-informed methods of enhancing endurance performance. University of Kent.
- Dr Graham Kingma (2015). Minding your own game: Self-regulation and psychological momentum among golfers. Rhodes University, South Africa (external supervisor)
Publications
- Winter, S. & Meijen, C. (2021). Psychology of distance running. In R. C. Blagrove & P. R. Hayes (Eds.), The science and practice of middle and long distance running (pp. 66-76). Oxon, UK: Routledge.
- Turner, M. J., Jones, M. V., Whittaker, A. C., Laborde, S., Williams, S., Meijen, C., & Tamminen, K. A. (2020). Adaptation to psychological stress in sport. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2199.
- Earl, S., Meijen, C., Taylor, I. M., & Passfield, L. (2020). Developing young adolescents’ psychological need satisfaction: A feasibility study of a pupil-focused intervention in secondary schools. Educational Studies. ISSN: 0305-5698. DOI: 10.1080/03055698.2020.1719386.
- Meijen, C., Jones, M. V., Turner, M., Sheffield, D., & McCarthy, P. J. (2020). A theory of challenge and threat states in athletes: A revised conceptualization. Frontiers in Psychology, 11:126. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00126
- Anstiss, P., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. (2020). The sources of self-efficacy in experienced competitive endurance athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(5), 622-638. DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2018.1549584
- Meijen, C. (2019). Endurance performance in sport: Psychological theory and interventions. Oxon, UK: Routledge.
- Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. (2019). An introduction to Endurance Performance in Sport: Psychological Theory and Interventions. In C. Meijen (ed.) Endurance performance in sport: Psychological theory and interventions (pp. 1-12). Oxon, UK: Routledge.
- Meijen, C. (2019). Prelude: Interventions for endurance performance. In C. Meijen (ed.) Endurance performance in sport: Psychological theory and interventions (pp. 109-112). Oxon, UK: Routledge.
- Meijen, C., & McCormick, A. (2019). Pursuing the next challenges: Directions for research on the psychology of endurance performance. In C. Meijen (ed.) Endurance performance in sport: Psychological theory and interventions (pp. 212-224). Oxon, UK: Routledge.
- Earl, S., Taylor, I., Meijen, C., & Passfield, L. (2019). Young adolescent psychological need profiles: Associations with classroom achievement and well-being. Psychology in the Schools, 56(6), 1004-1022. DOI: 10.1002/pits.22243
- McCormick, Meijen, C., Anstiss, P. A., & Jones, H. (2019). Self-regulation in endurance sports: Theory, research, and practice. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1), 235-264. DOI: 0.1080/1750984X.2018.1469161.
- Anstiss, P., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S., & Madigan, D. (2018). Development and initial validation of the Endurance Sport Self-Efficacy Scale (ESSES). Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 38, 176-183. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.06.015
- McCormick, A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. (2018). Psychological demands experienced by recreational endurance athletes. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16(4), 415-430. DOI: 10.1080/1612197X.2016.1256341
- McCormick, A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. M. (2018). Effects of a motivational self-talk intervention for endurance athletes completing an ultramarathon. The Sport Psychologist, 32(1), 42-50. DOI:10.1123/tsp.2017-0018
- Earl, S., Taylor, I. M., Meijen, C., & Passfield, L. (2017). Autonomy and Competence Frustration in the Classroom: Different Associations with Active and Passive Disengagement. Learning and Instruction, 49, 23-40. DOI: 10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.12.001
- Meijen, C., Day, C., Hays, K. (2017). Running a psyching team: Providing mental support at long-distance running events. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 8(1), 12-22. DOI: 10.1080/21520704.2016.1205697
- McCormick, A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. (2015). Psychological determinants of whole-body endurance performance: A systematic review. Sports Medicine. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-015-0319-6.
- McCormick, A., & Meijen, C. (2015). A lesson learned in time: Advice shared by experienced sport psychologists. Sport and Exercise Psychology Review, 11(1), 43-54.
- Meijen, C., Jones, M., Sheffield, D., & McCarthy, P. J. (2014). Challenge and threat states: Cardiovascular, affective, and cognitive responses to a sports-related speech task. Motivation and Emotion, 38(2), 252-262. DOI: 10.1007/s11031-013-9370-5
- Meijen, C., Jones, M., McCarthy, P. J., Sheffield, D., & Allen, M. S. (2013). Cognitive and affective components of challenge and threat states. Journal of Sports Sciences, 31(8), 847-855. DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2012.753157
- Meijen, C., & Manley, A. (2010). Supervised experience through the eyes of the supervisor. Sport and Exercise Psychology Review, 6, 43-46.
- Jones, M., Meijen, C., McCarthy, P. J., & Sheffield, D. (2009). A theory of challenge and threat states in athletes. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2, 161-180. DOI:10.1080/17509840902829331
- Manley, A., & Meijen, C. (2009). Reflections on the accreditation process: Implications and advice for in-training practitioners. Sport and Exercise Psychology Review, 5, 44-47.
Conference presentations
- Meijen, C. (2020). How Psyching Teams can help endurance athletes and practitioners: A critical reflection. Invited oral presentation as part of the FEPSAC invited session ‘How can you provide psychology support to endurance athletes? Reach, relationships, impact’, ECSS 2020 congress (online).
- Meijen, C. (2019). My mind is making me think my legs are tired: Using psychological strategies to resist the urge to stop or slow down. Invited presentation University of Groningen, the Netherlands, October 2019.
- Meijen, C. (2019). Endurance performance in sport. Workshop and training for accredited sport psychologists in the Netherlands. Almere, the Netherlands, November 2019.
- Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. (2019). Resist the urge to stop in endurance activities: Research-evaluated endurance strategies intending to support training. Workshop delivered at 15th FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology, 15-20 July, Muenster, Germany.
- Meijen, C. (2019). RESIST: Understanding the urge to stop or slow down in endurance running. Oral presentation and chair of Symposium ‘Self-regulation of endurance performance: Novel research findings. 15th FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology, 15-20 July, Muenster, Germany.
- Meijen, C. (2019). My mind is making me think my legs are tired: Psychological strategies for endurance performance. Presentation at Ideas Exchange, Twickenham, April 2019.
- Meijen, C., Lane, A. L. McCormick, A., Brick, N., Micklewright, D., Marchant, D., & Marcora, S. (2018). RESIST: Research-Evaluated Endurance Strategies Intending to Support Training. Workshop convenor at the Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Conference, 3-4 December, Belfast, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C. (2017). Dealing with Psychological Demands in Endurance Performance: Brief Contact Interventions as a Practical Application in Long-distance Running Events. Oral presentation, ISSP 14th World Congress, Seville, Spain.
- Meijen, C. (2016). Running a Psyching Team: The introduction of mental support at endurance events in England. Oral presentation and chair of Symposium ‘Novel strategies for endurance performance’, Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Conference, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
- McCormick, A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. M. (2016) Application of the facial feedback hypothesis to endurance performance – Does frowning modulate perception of effort? Oral presentation, Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Conference, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
- Anstiss, P., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. M. (2016) The role of sources of self-efficacy in endurance performance. Oral presentation, Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Conference, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C., McCormick, A., & Marcora (2016). Psychological Demands in Endurance Performance: Shared Experiences of Recreational Endurance Athletes. Oral presentation, 9th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Study of Motivation, Chicago, United States.
- McCormick, A., Meijen, C., & Marcora (2015). The effect of motivational self-talk on performance in an ultramarathon. Oral presentation, Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Conference, Leeds, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C. (2015). Psychology of endurance performance. Oral presentation at Endurance Research Conference, Chatham, Kent.
- Meijen, C., & Meadows, S. (2015). Staying alive: The meaning of a cardiac rehabilitation exercise group. Poster presentation, 14th FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology, Bern, Switzerland.
- Earl, S., Taylor, I. M., Meijen, C., & Passfield, L. (2015). Autonomy and Competence Frustration in the Classroom: Different Associations with Active and Passive Disengagement. Poster presentation, The British Psychological Society Annual Conference 2015, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Kingma, G., Meijen, C., & Young, C. (2014). Mindfulness, ego-regulation and psychological momentum in golf. Oral presentation, SGCP 4th International Congress of Coaching Psychology, London, United Kingdom.
- McCormick, A., Meijen, C., & Marcora, S. (2013). Psychological determinants of endurance performance: A systematic review. Poster presentation, The British Psychological Society Annual Conference, The Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Manchester, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C., & Coakley, S. L. (2012). Evaluating change and accuracy of self-efficacy judgments in a series of cycling trials. Poster presentation, The British Psychological Society Annual Conference, London, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C. (2011). From The Netherlands to the UK with a stop in Sweden. Oral presentation, 13th FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology, Madeira, Portugal.
- Meijen, C., Jones, M., Sheffield, D., & McCarthy, P. J. (2011). Challenge and threat states in athletes: An overview. Oral presentation, 13th FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology, Madeira, Portugal.
- Meijen, C. (2010). A test of the cognitive and affective components of challenge and threat states. Oral presentation, Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Conference 2010, London, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C., Jones, M. V. Sheffield, D., & McCarthy, P. J. (2010). Cognitive, emotional, and cardiovascular responses when recalling a good and a bad performance in sport. Oral presentation, The European College of Sport Science 15th Annual Congress, Antalya, Turkey.
- Meijen, C., Jones, M. V., Sheffield, D., & McCarthy, P. J. (2010). Challenge and threat states in athletes: Are your head and heart telling you a different story? Oral presentation, The British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C., Jones, M. V., Sheffield, D., & McCarthy, P. J. (2009). Is what you think you feel really what you feel? Challenge and threat states in sport. Oral presentation, International Society of Sport Psychology 12th World Congress, Marrakech, Morocco.
- Meijen, C., Schuls, M., Phillippen, P. B., & Ammitzbøll Marcussen, S. (2009). Embracing challenges associated with becoming a sport psychologist. Workshop, International Society of Sport Psychology 12th World Congress, Marrakech, Morocco.
- Meijen, C. (2009). Psychological correlates of challenge and threat states in a sport setting. Poster presentation, Springschool The ABC of Stress: Biopsychological Assessment, Basics and Consequences, Dresden, Germany.
- Meijen, C., Jones, M. V., McCarthy, P., & Sheffield, D. (2008). Psychological correlates of challenge and threat perceptions in sport. Oral presentation, The British Psychology Society: The Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Inaugural Conference, London, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C. (2008). Approaches to competition. Poster presentation, PsyPAG Annual Conference, Manchester, United Kingdom.
- Meijen, C. (2007). An exploration of the relationship between athletic identity and starting status. Poster presentation, FEPSAC, Halkidiki, Greece.
Selected Media coverage