Penny Werthner
University of Calgary, Kinesiology, Faculty Member
- Academic researcher in sport psychology, biofeedback/neurofeedback, learning, communities of practice, coaching, women and sportedit
How can coaches best use sport psychology to meet the needs and demands in a high performance context?
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... place over a number of years, with the athletes moving from being young and dependent ... While the humanistic philosophy underlies everything we do, so does a more cognitive-behavioral approach ... We want to ensure that athletes,... more
... place over a number of years, with the athletes moving from being young and dependent ... While the humanistic philosophy underlies everything we do, so does a more cognitive-behavioral approach ... We want to ensure that athletes, who have chosen to excel at the Olympic level ...
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The objectives of this research are twofold. The first objective is to complement and extend our knowledge of the psychological mindset that high performance athletes bring to their training and competitive setting that enables them to... more
The objectives of this research are twofold. The first objective is to complement and extend our knowledge of the psychological mindset that high performance athletes bring to their training and competitive setting that enables them to perform their best. The second objective is focused on achieving a better understanding of the thirty-seven to fifty percent of an athlete's life that is spent outside of physical training and rest/sleep portion of her or his life. To this end, the research studied the lives, thoughts and emotions of eight high performance athletes who had already won medals at the international and Olympic level and were continuing to train for the next Olympics. A three phase process of interviews was conducted with each of the eight athletes and encompassed training, training camps, national trials, international competitions and a 1997 World Championships, over a nine-month period, from December, 1996 to August, 1997. Ten general dimensions were developed that captured the complexity of the lives of the eight athletes. Within the first general dimension, Mental Mindset, a model was developed, in collaboration with the eight athletes. The nine other general dimensions that developed over the course of analysis were Beginnings, Personal Description, The Ebb and Flow of Self Confidence, Meaning of Excelling in Sport, Will, Degrees of Balance, Joy's in an Athlete's Life, Relationships, Difficulties and Dilemmas, and an eleventh dimension, a special case of A Girl on Boys' Teams. Three of these dimensions, Ebb and Flow of Self Confidence, Will and Degrees of Balance emerged from the words and thoughts of the athletes over the course of the three phases of interviews. The other six dimensions were introduced by the researcher in the initial framework. Along with the ten general dimensions, was a sense that each of these athletes were 'living with excelling.' There were both commonalities among the athletes and a uniqueness in the way each of the athletes viewed her or his journey in high performance [...]
Research Interests: Psychology and Athletes
Research Interests: Psychology and Coaching
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Despite sleep health being critically important for athlete performance and well-being, sleep health in marathoners is understudied. This foundational study explored relations between sleep health, individual characteristics, lifestyle... more
Despite sleep health being critically important for athlete performance and well-being, sleep health in marathoners is understudied. This foundational study explored relations between sleep health, individual characteristics, lifestyle factors, and marathon completion time. Data were obtained from the 2016 London Marathon participants. Participants completed the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) along with a brief survey capturing individual characteristics and lifestyle factors. Sleep health focused on the ASSQ sleep difficulty score (SDS) and its components. Linear regression computed relations among sleep, individual, lifestyle, and marathon variables. The analytic sample (N = 943) was mostly male (64.5%) and young adults (66.5%). A total of 23.5% of the sample reported sleep difficulties (SDS ≥ 8) at a severity warranting follow-up with a trained sleep provider. Middle-aged adults generally reported significantly worse sleep health characteristics, relative to young a...
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Research has shown that persons with a disability who participate in sport often develop a positive sense of self, a sense of personal empowerment, and a sense of connectedness to society (e.g. DePauw & Gavron, 2005; De Potter, 2006).... more
Research has shown that persons with a disability who participate in sport often develop a positive sense of self, a sense of personal empowerment, and a sense of connectedness to society (e.g. DePauw & Gavron, 2005; De Potter, 2006). Coaches of athletes of all ages, whether these athletes are able-bodied or athletes with a disability, play a vital role in facilitating such positive experiences (Hansen, Larson, & Dworkin, 2003; Cote & Sedgwick, 2003). A Canadian analysis of research priorities in disability sport noted the coaching area was in dire need of data-based research to assess the effectiveness of coaches' training programs and sport versus health coaching backgrounds (Reid & Prupas, 1998). The purpose of this presentation is to communicate the findings from Phase one of a three-phase research project examining the developmental learning processes of coaches of athletes with a physical disability. In this first phase, 17 athletes with a physical disability were interviewed to better understand their coaching environment. The findings indicated that the athletes felt their coaches were generally competent and encouraging. However, the athletes also discussed the need for their coaches to communicate with them regarding their abilities and special needs to effectively determine the best course of action for training and competition.
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Bio/neurofeedback training targets the development of an athlete's psychological skills, such as focus, management of anxiety, and recovery/relaxation ability in order to enhance overall performance. Focus training provides tools for... more
Bio/neurofeedback training targets the development of an athlete's psychological skills, such as focus, management of anxiety, and recovery/relaxation ability in order to enhance overall performance. Focus training provides tools for the athlete to help them develop alertness and concentration and manage emotions, fears and distractions. Anxiety management training equips the athlete with skills to shift into a parasympathetic dominant state at will and regulate, or turn off, the stress response. Training to engage the body in deep relaxation serves to release stress from the nervous system. In the present study, funded byOwn The Podium (OTP), 16 athletes were trained for 30-45 hours, using bio/neurofeedback instrumentation to learn to control physiological and neurological function. Sensors were attached to the body for the purpose of acquiring biological and neurological signals such as those produced by muscles, sweat glands, body temperature, respiration, and heart rhythm (i.e. biofeedback modalities) and brainwaves (i.e. neurofeedback modality). Each of the 16 athletes who participated in the three year study improved their overall ability to self-regulate. Most improvement was in self-regulation of respiration rate, muscle tension and peripheral body temperature. The electrodermal response (arousal regulation) and heart rate variability ranges did not reach the required criteria consistently, indicating that work would need to be continued on those modalities.
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The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived outcomes of a biofeedback and neurofeedback training intervention with high performance athletes. Five Olympic level athletes preparing for world championships and the 2012 Olympic... more
The purpose of this study was to explore the perceived outcomes of a biofeedback and neurofeedback training intervention with high performance athletes. Five Olympic level athletes preparing for world championships and the 2012 Olympic Games took part in a 20 session intervention over the period of one year. At the completion of the intervention, a semistructured interview was conducted with each athlete. The athletes indicated that they became more self-aware, were better able to self-regulate both their physiological and psychological states, developed a greater sense of personal control, and a greater understanding of skills inherent in the field of sport psychology. Three of the athletes made the Canadian Olympic team for the 2012 Olympic Games and two of those athletes won bronze medals. The present study suggests that biofeedback and neurofeedback training may be useful in enabling athletes to perform optimally, in both training and competition, on a consistent basis.
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Research Interests: Geology and Ice Hockey
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) neurofeedback training (NFT) and biofeedback training (BFT) intervention on ice hockey shooting performance. Specifically, the purpose was to... more
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a sensorimotor rhythm (SMR) neurofeedback training (NFT) and biofeedback training (BFT) intervention on ice hockey shooting performance. Specifically, the purpose was to examine (a) whether an NFT/BFT program could improve ice hockey shooting performance, (b) whether the implementation of an SMR-NFT intervention leads to neurological adaptations during performance, and (c) whether such neurological changes account for improvement in shooting performance. Using a longitudinal stratified random control design, results demonstrated that while both SMR-NFT/BFT and control groups improved performance, the rate of improvement for the SMR-NFT/BFT group was significantly higher than the control. Participants in the SMR-NFT/BFT group demonstrated the ability to significantly increase SMR power from pre- to postintervention in the lab. However, no significant changes in SMR power were found during shooting performance. This result may be suggestive of differing cortical activity present during motor-skill preparation.
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The elite sport environment can be very stressful for many athletes. Some athletes cope easily with the multitude of possible stressors associated with the quest for elite athletic performance, many other talented athletes struggle and... more
The elite sport environment can be very stressful for many athletes. Some athletes cope easily with the multitude of possible stressors associated with the quest for elite athletic performance, many other talented athletes struggle and often fail to achieve their expected performance potential. This research was designed to explore the relationship between elite athletes' self-regulation ability of the stress response and their ranking at the world level using psychophysiological stress assessment profiling. Fifteen elite level athletes' psychophysiological stress response patterns were recorded during a nine stage stress assessment. Respiration rate, heart rate, skin conductance, electromyography, and peripheral body temperature were monitored. There was a significant negative correlation between elite athletes' overall self-regulation ability and their ranking at the world level. Only the EMG-trapezius self-regulation score significantly contributed to the model predicting athletes' world ranking. Our results suggest the existence of a relationship between elite athletes' overall self-regulation ability and their ranking at the world level. This may indicate that higher ranking athletes are better psychophysiological self-regulators. Thus, training for optimal self-regulation of the stress response may enhance sport performance. Acknowledgments: Funding provided by Own the Podium
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Abstract Yoga has demonstrated some promising impacts on mental health and well-being. The ability to focus is a possible mechanism through which yoga practice influences mental health and well-being. Furthermore, there are relatively few... more
Abstract Yoga has demonstrated some promising impacts on mental health and well-being. The ability to focus is a possible mechanism through which yoga practice influences mental health and well-being. Furthermore, there are relatively few empirical studies that have explored the experience of maintaining focus or the process of developing this capacity within yoga. This study explored focus in terms of its development within the practice of yoga. The two objectives of the study were: (1) to examine the experience of focus in individuals with extensive accumulated practice, and (2) to learn how they developed this ability to focus. Eight participants were selected based on duration and frequency of their practice. Two one-hour interviews were conducted with each participant in a semi-structured format and qualitative thematic analysis was used. The findings are discussed within two main themes: the practice and the nature of yogic awareness. Results are discussed in relation to the enhancement of mental health and well-being, and future directions are recommended.
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Background:Current selection methods for neurosurgical residents lack objective measurements of psychomotor performance. This pilot study was designed to answer three questions: 1) What are the differences in bimanual psychomotor... more
Background:Current selection methods for neurosurgical residents lack objective measurements of psychomotor performance. This pilot study was designed to answer three questions: 1) What are the differences in bimanual psychomotor performance among neurosurgical residency applicants using the NeuroVR (formerly NeuroTouch) neurosurgical simulator? 2) Are there exceptionally skilled medical student applicants? 3) Does previous surgical exposure influence surgical performance?Methods:Medical students attending neurosurgery residency interviews at McGill University were asked to participate. Participants were instructed to remove 3 simulated brain tumors. Validated tier 1, tier 2, and advanced tier 2 metrics were utilized to assess bimanual psychomotor performance. Demographic data included weeks of neurosurgical elective and prior operative exposure.Results:Sixteen of 17 neurosurgical applicants (94%) participated. Performances clustered in definable top, middle, and bottom groups with ...
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ABSTRACT The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) in Canada, and its sport specific partner in alpine ski racing, the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation (CSCF), are both in the process of re-designing their coach education training... more
ABSTRACT The National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) in Canada, and its sport specific partner in alpine ski racing, the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation (CSCF), are both in the process of re-designing their coach education training programs to become more congruent with a lifelong learning perspective. In this article, the authors explore (a) how the CSCF can use the results of a brief online membership survey to know more about who their coaches are, (b) what are the coaches’ perceptions on a few key learning situations, and (c) how this information can be used by the CSCF to continue to develop its coach education program.
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Introduction Mental health issues are a leading cause of decreased academic and athletic performances when left untreated. Recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have... more
Introduction Mental health issues are a leading cause of decreased academic and athletic performances when left untreated. Recently, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) have highlighted the fundamental importance of mental health among young athletes. Sleep represents a core feature of mental health, and student-athletes represent a vulnerable population for sleep restriction and disruption due to the demands of their courseload and training schedule. This investigation was performed to identify differences in sleep and mental health across gender, race/ethnicity, and sport type. Methods Data were obtained throughout the academic semester from Canadian institutions, with student-athletes completing the Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ), General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). ASSQ captured sleep and circadian health, while GAD-7 and PHQ-9 assessed anxiety and depressive sym...
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The objectives of this research are twofold. The first objective is to complement and extend our knowledge of the psychological mindset that high performance athletes bring to their training and competitive setting that enables them to... more
The objectives of this research are twofold. The first objective is to complement and extend our knowledge of the psychological mindset that high performance athletes bring to their training and competitive setting that enables them to perform their best. The second objective is focused on achieving a better understanding of the thirty-seven to fifty percent of an athlete's life that is spent outside of physical training and rest/sleep portion of her or his life. To this end, the research studied the lives, thoughts and emotions of eight high performance athletes who had already won medals at the international and Olympic level and were continuing to train for the next Olympics. A three phase process of interviews was conducted with each of the eight athletes and encompassed training, training camps, national trials, international competitions and a 1997 World Championships, over a nine-month period, from December, 1996 to August, 1997. Ten general dimensions were developed that captured the complexity of the lives of the eight athletes. Within the first general dimension, Mental Mindset, a model was developed, in collaboration with the eight athletes. The nine other general dimensions that developed over the course of analysis were Beginnings, Personal Description, The Ebb and Flow of Self Confidence, Meaning of Excelling in Sport, Will, Degrees of Balance, Joy's in an Athlete's Life, Relationships, Difficulties and Dilemmas, and an eleventh dimension, a special case of A Girl on Boys' Teams. Three of these dimensions, Ebb and Flow of Self Confidence, Will and Degrees of Balance emerged from the words and thoughts of the athletes over the course of the three phases of interviews. The other six dimensions were introduced by the researcher in the initial framework. Along with the ten general dimensions, was a sense that each of these athletes were 'living with excelling.' There were both commonalities among the athletes and a uniqueness in the way each of the athletes viewed her or his journey in high performance [...]
Research Interests: Psychology and Athletes
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Research Interests: Psychology and Routledge
Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ). (PDF 13Â kb)
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Post-Pandemic and Beyond Virtual Conference AbstractsBlended learning using augmented reality glasses during the COVID-19 pandemic: the present and the futureActivating emotions enhance surgical simulation performance: a cluster analysisTraining in soft-tissue resection using real-time visual com...more
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This study was designed to explore the relationship between elite athletes' self-regulation ability and their ranking at the world level using psychophysiological stress assessment profiling. Fifteen elite level athletes'... more
This study was designed to explore the relationship between elite athletes' self-regulation ability and their ranking at the world level using psychophysiological stress assessment profiling. Fifteen elite level athletes' psychophysiological stress response patterns were recorded during a nine-stage stress assessment. Respiration rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, skin conductance, peripheral body temperature, and electromyograph (trapezius and frontalis) were monitored. There was a significant correlation between elite athletes' overall self-regulation ability and their ranking at the world level, meaning that the better the overall self-regulation ability of the athlete, the better the world ranking. In addition, a multiple regression analysis indicated that self-regulation accounted for 76% of the variance in world ranking. Our results suggest the existence of a relationship between elite athletes' overall self-regulation ability and their ranking at the wo...
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Excessive stress and tension are major threats to optimal athletic performance. The goal of this project was to help the athletes optimize the management of their stress response through self-awareness and self-regulation of the... more
Excessive stress and tension are major threats to optimal athletic performance. The goal of this project was to help the athletes optimize the management of their stress response through self-awareness and self-regulation of the activation levels of their autonomic and central nervous systems. Fifteen elite athletes preparing for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics underwent an EEG and psychophysiological stress assessment, as well as a bio–neurofeedback (BNFK) training intervention. Both athletes and coaches reported that the bio–neurofeedback intervention helped the athletes in managing the stress of training and competition and was a factor in producing better performances.
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Background:Objective methods to assess the influence of significant stress on neurosurgical bimanual psychomotor performance have not been developed. We utilized NeuroTouch, a virtual reality simulator, to answer two questions: 1) What is... more
Background:Objective methods to assess the influence of significant stress on neurosurgical bimanual psychomotor performance have not been developed. We utilized NeuroTouch, a virtual reality simulator, to answer two questions: 1) What is the impact of significant stress on bimanual psychomotor performance during the resection of a simulated tumor? 2) Does stress influence performance immediately following the stressful episode?Methods:Uncontrollable ‘intraoperative’ bleeding during one of the tumor resections resulting in simulated patient cardiac arrest served as the acute stressor. Six neurosurgeons, 6 senior and 6 junior neurosurgical residents and 6 senior medical students were studied. The evaluated advanced tier 2 metrics were efficiency index, ultrasonic aspirator path length index, suction coordination index and ultrasonic aspirator bimanual forces ratio.Results:The stress scenario significantly decreased the efficiency index of all groups and significantly decreased perfor...
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This study has attempted to reflect the complexity and the simplicity of the elements of the most effective focus or concentration required to excel at the highest levels of sport — world championships and Olympic Games. The athletes who... more
This study has attempted to reflect the complexity and the simplicity of the elements of the most effective focus or concentration required to excel at the highest levels of sport — world championships and Olympic Games. The athletes who participated in this study have illustrated a wonderful ability to look inside themselves for the answers and, at the same time, be open to sharing the powerful and sometimes unique ways in which they cope with the stresses and pressures of competition. It is hoped that the visual image that has been developed collaboratively with these athletes will help many other athletes and coaches understand the nuances of concentrating effectively.
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Research on how coaches learn to coach has explored how they learn in formal and nonformal coaching education courses, and how they learn in informal experiences on the job, including how they learn from their athletes, other coaches, and... more
Research on how coaches learn to coach has explored how they learn in formal and nonformal coaching education courses, and how they learn in informal experiences on the job, including how they learn from their athletes, other coaches, and mentors (for example, Mallett, Trudel, Lyle, & Rynne, 2009; Werthner & Trudel, 2006, 2009). Jarvis (2006) offers a theory that learning is lifelong and occurs when an individual experiences a situation that is transformed, through thoughts, emotions, and/or actions, into knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, values, and skills. What a person has learned will influence how she or he experiences new learning situations. As part of a larger dissertation research study on the lives of women coaches, the purpose of this presentation is to illustrate how preconscious learning in childhood, through primary and secondary socialization, including the social environment, family life, school, and athletic experiences, contributed to five Canadian women coaches' ...
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The doctoral experience is a period of time when students learn about research, submit a dissertation with a rigorous methodology, and contribute to the literature in the field (Hockey, 2004). However, there is arguably more that is... more
The doctoral experience is a period of time when students learn about research, submit a dissertation with a rigorous methodology, and contribute to the literature in the field (Hockey, 2004). However, there is arguably more that is accomplished in this time. Doctoral students' experiences have often been researched in light of their transition into an academic career as a professor. However, not all students have such defined goals within their first year. The first year of the PhD has been described as the stage in which the students begin to identify with a new role (Braxton & Baird, 2001; Hockey, 2004; Viczko & Wright, 2010). Hockey (2004) notes that during the first year, students undergo unexpected difficulty due to major changes in their educational understandings and status. There are differences in academic demands, peer support, and social interactions with faculty. Some of the changes that have been noted as potentially problematic for doctoral students include: socia...
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Research has shown that persons with a disability who participate in sport often develop a positive sense of self, a sense of personal empowerment, and a sense of connectedness to society (e.g. DePauw & Gavron, 2005; De Potter, 2006).... more
Research has shown that persons with a disability who participate in sport often develop a positive sense of self, a sense of personal empowerment, and a sense of connectedness to society (e.g. DePauw & Gavron, 2005; De Potter, 2006). Coaches of athletes of all ages, whether these athletes are able-bodied or athletes with a disability, play a vital role in facilitating such positive experiences (Hansen, Larson, & Dworkin, 2003; Cote & Sedgwick, 2003). A Canadian analysis of research priorities in disability sport noted the coaching area was in dire need of data-based research to assess the effectiveness of coaches' training programs and sport versus health coaching backgrounds (Reid & Prupas, 1998). The purpose of this presentation is to communicate the findings from Phase one of a three-phase research project examining the developmental learning processes of coaches of athletes with a physical disability. In this first phase, 17 athletes with a physical disability were intervie...