I am a member of the Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance. My Main interests are two fold: Motor Control and Learning, with a particular focus on target directed aiming; Effective coaching practices, performance expertise and talent development.  The primary aspect the latter interest is to better understand expertise development and ways to accelerate individuals towards expert performance.  Be this through behavioural or Psychological practices. 

My interests reside in ascertaining how practice structure and processes influence our understanding of effective coaching and talent development. For example;  the stress-performance relationship and how anxiety related choking can be prevented together with how the training environment can be structured to optimally achieve this; what are the discriminating factors between those who obtain and those who don’t obtain expertise and super elite status; the influence of virtual reality use and its transfer to real life; focus of attention during novice and expert performance; and optimal ways to structure practice to accelerate learning.

I have secured external funding for this Sport and Exercise Science research for the multidisciplinary Pathway2Podium project, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Weightlifting Wales amongst others.  These projects take a multidisciplinary approach to understanding talent development.

Room 207, School of Psychology and Sport Science Exercise, George Building

Email: g.p.lawrence@bangor.ac.uk

Tel: 01248388283

Bio:

I am a senior lecturer conducting Sport and Exercise Science research within the Institue of the Psychology of Elite Performance.  This aspect of Performance Psychology research resides in effective coaching, performance development and expertise.  I am particularly interested in investigating how we can accelerate the journey to expertise via adopting a multidisaplinary approach to understading the performer.  Throughout this research, I work with high profile Sports Organisations e.g., UK Sport, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Weightlifting Wales, England Athletics and UK Deaf Sport. 

Invited presentations/workshops:

1. Sport Wales Skill Acquisition workshop to Perfromance Directors and Practitioners. Welsh Institute of Sport, June 2017

2. Sport Wales Anxiety and Perfromance workshop to coaches. Welsh Institue of Sports, June

3. Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). A series of four separte Skill Acquisition workshops on instruction, practice structure, pressured perfromance, and feedback delivery. Presented to Elite coaching staff at the National Centre of Excellence, October through December 2016. 

4. Training with anxiety; the story so far.  Midcareer Researcher lecture delivered at the Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network (ESAN). Sheffield institute of Sport (EIS) April, 2015.

5. Welsh Yachting Associations annual Big Weekend for elite and squad coaches. ‘Effective coaching; the role of practice structure in obtaining expertise.’ Plas Menai Centre of Excellence for Sailing (February 2014).

6. Discussion panelist at the Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network.  ‘Skill Acquisition interventions’ – Biz Price (GB performance director for synchronised swimming). English Institute of Sport (High Performance Centre) Bisham Abbey. April 2013. 

7. Health and Well Being public lecture series part funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (hefcw) and The National Leadership and Innovation Agency for Healthcare. Title: ‘Performance pressure is like chocolate: some people can devour as much as they want without any negatives whilst others suffer at the mere mention of the word!’.  Venue Cymru, Llandudno, November 2012.

8. International Convention on Science, Education and Medicine in Sport (ICSEMIS).  Pre Olympic symposium ‘Elite performance: Anticipation skill in Olympic sports: advances in theory and practice’.  Glasgow, July 2012

9. Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network (ESAN). ‘The positive effects of practicing with anxiety.’  Loughborough, April 2011.

10. Ninewells Hospital and Medical Centre, Dundee. Workshop delivered to health professionals focusing on applying Motor Control and Learning research within the rehabilitation and medical settings. November 2008.

I am a member of the Institute for the Psychology of Elite Performance. My Main interests of Sport and Exercise Science research centre on the performance psychology of effective coaching practices, performance expertise and talent development.  The primary aspect this research is to better understand expertise development and ways to accelerate individuals towards expert performance.  Be this through behavioural or Psychological practices. 

My interests reside in ascertaining how practice structure and processes influence our understanding of effective coaching and talent development. For example;  the stress-performance relationship and how anxiety related choking can be prevented together with how the training environment can be structured to optimally achieve this; what are the discriminating factors between those who obtain and those who don’t obtain expertise and super elite status; the influence of virtual reality use and its transfer to real life; focus of attention during novice and expert performance; and optimal ways to structure practice to accelerate learning.

I have secured external funding for this Sport and Exercise Science research for the multidisciplinary Pathway2Podium project, the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Weightlifting Wales amongst others.  These projects take a multidisciplinary approach to understanding talent development. 

Module Leader:

JXH1050 Level 4 Scientific Enquiry 

JXH1056 Level 4 Talent Identification and Development

JXH4213 Level 7 Talent Development

JXH4105 Level 7 Accelerating Expertise

Other teaching and supervision roles:

BSc 2nd year Project Proposal

BSc 3rd year Research Project

BSc 3rd year Dissertation

MSc Supervised Experience

MSc Research Project Proposal

MSc Research Project