Staff Profiles

Modules taught

U76200- Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology

U76142- Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology

U76170- Advanced Practice in Sport and Exercise Psychology

U14634- Motivating Health Behaviour

U76223- Research Methods

Supervision

PhD (Sept 17-current): Alasdair Lane- Stress and Recovery in Professional Football 

MSc by Research (Sept 17-current): Sam Richardson- Is Music an Effective Ergogenic aid to Judo Performance 

MSc by Research (Sept 17-current): Kiran Hanspal - Examining Different Work to Rest Ratios on Sporting Performance and the Potential hHypoalgesic Benefits of HIT

MSc Dissertation: Caitlin Tinn /Jason Sklenar- New Zealand Blackcurrant Supplementation: Effects on Exercise and Cognition

MSc Dissertation: John Sturgis/ Stefano Montanari- The Physiological and Psychological Effects of Commercially Available Pre-workout Supplementation  

My research focuses upon the main themes of psychophysiology and sport and exercise psychology. I am particularly interested in the impact of stress/recovery and other behavioural factors on health and sporting performance.

My PhD examined the personality and behavioural correlates of extreme stress reactivity, with a particular focus upon individuals who exhibit attenuated stress responses and the associated maladaptive health and behavioural outcomes.  

My current research focuses upon the examination of stress, coping and well-being (in football), personality traits, ergogenic effects of music and motivating health behaviour.

Research group membership

Journal articles

• Coyle D, Howard S, Bibbey A, Gallagher S, Whittaker (Phillips) A, Creaven AM, 'Personality, cardiovascular and cortisol reactions to acute psychological stress in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study'
  International Journal of Psychophysiology 148 (2020) pp.67-74
  ISSN: 0167-8760 eISSN: 1872-7697
  Abstract

  Recent research has suggested that diminished, as well as elevated reactivity to acute psychological stress is maladaptive.  These differences in stress reactions have been hypothesised to relate to the Big Five personality traits, which are said to be biologically-based and stable across adulthood; however, findings have been inconclusive.  This study sought to replicate the findings of the largest study conducted to date (Bibbey, Carroll, Roseboom, Phillips, and de Rooij, 2013), with a sample of participants from the Midlife in the United States Study (MIDUS), aged between 35 and 84 years (M = 56.33, SD = 10.87).  Participants (N = 817) undertook a standardized, laboratory-based procedure during which their cardiovascular and neuroendocrine reactivity to acute stress was measured.  In contrast to Bibbey et al. (2013), associations between neuroticism and blunted reactivity did not withstand adjustment for confounding variables. Further, following adjustment for multiple tests, no significant positive association between agreeableness and HR reactivity was observed. Methodological differences between the studies, which may account in part for the contrasting findings, are discussed.  Further conceptual replication research is needed to clarify associations between the Big Five personality traits and stress reactivity, across the lifespan. 
  

  Website 
• Kölling S, Schaffran P, Bibbey A, Drew M, Raysmith B, Nässi A, Kellmann M, 'Validation of the Acute Recovery and Stress Scale (ARSS) and the Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS) in three English-speaking regions'
  Journal of Sports Sciences 38 (2) (2019) pp.130-139
  ISSN: 0264-0414 eISSN: 1466-447X
  Abstract

  The Acute Recovery and Stress Scale (ARSS) and the Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS) are well-established monitoring tools in German-speaking countries. This study aimed at validating them for English-speaking populations. Overall, 996 athletes (536 males, 24.9 ± 9.1 years) of Australia/New Zealand (n = 380), the United Kingdom (n = 316), and North America (n = 300) participated. The 32-item ARSS consists of eight scales. These scales constitute the eight items of the SRSS with the corresponding ARSS items as descriptors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), internal consistency (α), and discriminatory power of the items (r_it) were calculated for the total and subsamples separately. Satisfactory discriminatory power (r_it > .30) for all ARSS and SRSS items and acceptable internal consistency (α > .70) was achieved. CFA indicated good fit indices for the total sample and subsamples, and strong measurement invariance was found across subsamples and gender. Correlations between corresponding scales and items (r_s = .68 – .78) support theoretical congruency as well as independent usage of both questionnaires. Construct validity of both tools is shown through hypothesis-conforming correlations with the Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes. Future studies may apply the ARSS and SRSS as monitoring tools in English-speaking regions worldwide.
  

  Website 
• Brindle RC, Whittaker AC, Bibbey A, Carroll D, Ginty AT, 'Exploring the possible mechanisms of blunted cardiac reactivity to acute psychological stress'
  International Journal of Psychophysiology 113 (2016) pp.1-7
  ISSN: 0167-8760 eISSN: 1872-7697
  Abstract Blunted cardiovascular reactivity to acute psychological stress has been linked to a range of adverse health and behavioral outcomes. However, the origins of blunted reactivity remain unclear. The current study aimed to explore the following possibilities: different appraisals of task stressfulness and/or difficulty, diminished task effort, or reduced physiological capacity to respond. Individuals characterized, via pre-screening, as blunted (n = 17) or exaggerated (n = 16) heart rate (HR) reactors to acute psychological stress (socially evaluative mental arithmetic) were exposed to a psychological stress, cold pressor and exercise tasks during a follow-up testing session while HR and blood pressure (BP) were measured. At follow-up, groups again mounted significantly different HR reactions to psychological stress, despite reporting similar levels of subjective stress and difficulty, and achieving similar tasks scores (measure of task effort) at both testing sessions. In response to the cold pressor and exercise blunted and exaggerated reactors displayed similar HR and BP responses. Results indicated that blunted reactors do not differ from exaggerated reactors on appraisals of task stressfulness or difficulty, or objective task effort, and do possess the physiological capacity to respond to other laboratory challenges. Other sources of blunted stress reactivity remain to be explored.Website 
• Bibbey A, Ginty AT, Brindle RC, Phillips AC, Carroll D, 'Blunted cardiac stress reactors exhibit relatively high levels of behavioural impulsivity'
  Physiology & Behavior 159 (2016) pp.40-44
  ISSN: 0031-9384
  Abstract Blunted physiological reactions to acute psychological stress are associated with a range of adverse health and behavioural outcomes. This study examined whether extreme stress reactors differ in their behavioural impulsivity. Individuals showing blunted (N = 23) and
  exaggerated (N = 23) cardiovascular reactions to stress were selected by screening a healthy student population (N = 276). Behavioural impulsivity was measured via inhibitory control and motor impulsivity tasks. Blunted reactors exhibited greater impulsivity than exaggerated reactors on both stop-signal, F(1,41) = 4.99, p = 0.03, eta(2)(p), = 0.108, and circle drawing, F(1,43) = 4.00,p = eta(2)(p) = 0.085, tasks. Individuals showing blunted cardiovascular stress reactions are characterized by greater impulsivity which may contribute to their increased susceptibility to outcomes such as obesity and addiction.Website 
• Bibbey A, Carroll D, Ginty AT, Phillips AC, 'Cardiovascular and cortisol reactions to acute psychological stress under conditions of high versus low social evaluative threat: Associations with the Type D Personality Construct'
  Psychosomatic Medicine 77 (5) (2015) pp.599-608
  ISSN: 0033-3174
  Abstract Objectives. Social evaluative threat is an important factor in the cardiovascular response to mental stress. This study examined whether Type D personality, characterized by social inhibition and negative affectivity, is associated with an adverse cardiovascular response to a non-social and social evaluative threat. Methods. A total of 2300 students were screened for Type D personality, and 130 were selected for a nonsocial stress exposure condition (31 Type D, 30 non–Type D: 52% female) or a condition high in social evaluative threat (35 Type D, 34 non–Type D: 55% female). Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), and salivary cortisol were measured. Results. Social evaluative threat resulted in higher cardiovascular responses than the nonsocial challenge (SBP, p = .001, η 2 = 0.092;DBP, p = .006, η 2 = 0.058;HR, p = .006, η 2 = 0.059). The greatest cardiovascular stress reactions were exhibited by Type D participants in the high social evaluation condition; reflected in significant group by condition interactions for SBP (F(1,126) = 7.29, p = .008, η 2 = 0.055), DBP (F(1,126) = 5.23, p = .024, η 2 = 0.040), and HR (F(1,126) = 5.04, p = .027, η 2 = 0.038) reactivity. Only Type Ds in the social condition mounted a positive cortisol response (F(1,33) = 5.07, p = .031, η 2 = 0.133). Conclusions. Type D individuals show different stress reactions depending on the social evaluative nature of the stress exposure. These findings suggest that dysregulation of the stress response in social situations potentially increases cardiovascular disease risk.Website 
• Bibbey A, Phillips AC, Ginty AT, Carroll D, 'Problematic internet use, excessive alcohol consumption, their comorbidity and cardiovascular and cortisol reactions to acute psychological stress in a student population'
  Journal of Behavioral Addictions 4 (2) (2015) pp.44-52
  ISSN: 2062-5871
  Abstract Background and aims: Problematic Internet use and excessive alcohol consumption have been associated with a host of maladaptive outcomes. Further, low (blunted) cardiovascular and stress hormone (e.g. cortisol) reactions to acute psychological stress are a feature of individuals with a range of adverse health and behavioural characteristics, including dependencies such as tobacco and alcohol addiction. The present study extended this research by examining whether behavioural dependencies, namely problematic Internet use, excessive alcohol consumption, and their comorbidity would also be associated with blunted stress reactivity. Methods: A large sample of university students (N = 2313) were screened using Internet and alcohol dependency  questionnaires to select four groups for laboratory testing: comorbid Internet and alcohol dependence (N = 17), Internet dependence (N = 17), alcohol dependence (N = 28), and non-dependent controls (N = 26). Cardiovascular activity and salivary cortisol were measured at rest and in response to a psychological stress protocol comprising of mental arithmetic and public speaking tasks. Results: Neither problematic Internet behaviour nor excessive alcohol consumption, either individually or in combination, were associated with blunted cardiovascular or cortisol stress reactions. Discussion: It is possible that problematic Internet behaviour and excessive alcohol consumption in a student population were not related to physiological reactivity as they may not reflect ingrained addictions but rather an impulse control disorder and binging tendency. Conclusions: The present results serve to indicate some of the limits of the developing hypothesis that blunted stress reactivity is a peripheral marker of the central motivational dysregulation in the brain underpinning a wide range of health and behavioural problems.Website 

Further information

www.researchgate.net/profile/Adam_Bibbey

www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bibbey-98a56879/