Professor Joanne Butt PhD, C.Psychol, AFBPsS, MSc, PGCE, BA Hons.

I joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2005 having completed a Master's Degree and Doctorate at Miami University, Ohio in the USA. Joanne is a Registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist (British Psychological Society; Health Care Professions Council) and provides sport psychology consultancy services to various teams and individual athletes.

I worked as the sport psychologist for the GB Women's Volleyball team and was an accredited sport psychologist with the team at the 2012 Olympic Games. I have been working with British Equestrian Federation as a sport psychologist for the past 5 years and I also contribute to their rider-development strategic plan and psychology coach education. I publish research in a variety of sport psychology and performance areas including mental toughness, competitive anxiety and stress, sport confidence, and talent development in sport. In addition to supervising MSc and PhD students I also supervise trainee sport and exercise psychologists as part the British Psychological Society's stage 2 training pathway.

Outside of the sport setting, I lead the corporate athlete-performance psychology programme as part of my role within the Research Centre. This work involves research and consultancy projects (resilience, team development, mental toughness, performing under pressure/stress management) across a variety of settings including Health care trusts, medical students, and accident and emergency hospital practitioners.

I engage in a variety of activities to facilitate the development of sport psychology as a profession. I serve on the Training and Standards Partnership Committee for the British Psychological Society (Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology) and a member of the Editorial Board for The Sport Psychologist, The International Journal for Sport and Exercise Psychology, and the International Journal of Sport Psychology.

Joanne publishes research in the broad area of psychological constructs influencing sporting performance. These areas include mental toughness, competitive anxiety and stress, sport confidence, and youth sport/psychological talent development.

Health And Wellbeing

Co Programme Director: MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology

MSc Applied Techniques in Sport and Exercise Psychology

MSc Developing Professional Practice in Sport and Exercise Psychology

MSc Advanced Sports Coaching: Sport Psychology

Sport and Exercise Science

Course Leader: MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology

MSc Psychology of Sport and Performance

MSc Developing Professional Practice in Sport and Exercise Psychology
MSc Qualitative Data Analysis

MSc Advanced Sports Coaching: Sport Psychology
UG Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology

• Centre for Sport and Exercise Science

I am currently working with British Equestrian Federation and we have conducted research to underpin the Federation’s rider development strategy and to create a psychologically-informed environment through the youth coach education programmes.

I am also working in partnership with the Centre for Applied Research in Youth Sport, Australia (Directed by Dr Andrew Mills; www.carys.org) and we have recently developed a Strengths-based framework for facilitating and monitoring the development of athletes and subsequent development-environments. This research informing practice framework enables us to assist coaches and performance directors in shaping their training environment for athlete performance, career transitions, and their welfare.

Select Performance Psychology Workshops that I lead on include;

• Spotlight-Profile based team development
• Stress-management training
• Mental toughness training and performing under pressure
• Mental health awareness in sport
• Mental training for Sport-Officials (referees, umpires).

Select Commissioned Reports:

Butt, J., Mills, A., Cholerton, R., & Maynard, I.W., & Hamer, D. Psychological talent development for Elite Equestrian and Optimal Environments (Sport England-BEF).

Butt, J., Maynard, I.W., Kavanagh, E., Fawcett, A. Psychological player development for Volleyball England. (Sport England).

Butt, J. & Speake, H. Facilitating the pathway to long-term talent development. British Mountaineering Council (Sport England)

Butt, J., Mills, A., & Maynard, I.W. Developing and evaluating Shuttle ShoxTM. Commissioned Report, Sport England: Badminton England.

Maynard, I., Forrest, K., Butt, J., & Nicholson, B. (2010). Stress management training intervention for OSCE preparation. AMEE Medical Education (St James University Hospital, Leeds)

Butt. J, Forrest, K., Maynard, I.W., & Nicholson, B. (2010). Enhancing medical student

performance in objective structured clinical examinations by adapting the tools of sport

psychology. Medical Education. (St James University Hospital, Leeds)

Butt, J., & Wood, R. Developing and evaluating the impact of a protective sports bra for women's football. Commissioned report, QP Sports Ltd, New Zealand.

Butt, J., Maynard, I.W., Olusoga, P., & Douglas, G. Assessing the impact of Newham Sports Academy and Future Olympic Talent Development. UK Sport. Commissioned report, Newham Sports Council.

Butt, J. & Speake, H. (2014). Facilitating the pathway to long-term talent development. British Mountaineering Council (Sport England)

Butt, J., Mills, A., & Maynard, I.W. (2012). Developing and evaluating Shuttle ShoxTM. Commissioned Report, Sport England: Badminton England.

Butt, J., & Wood, R. (2010). Developing and evaluating the impact of a protective sports bra for women's football. Commissioned report, QP Sports Ltd, New Zealand.

Butt, J., Maynard, I.W., Olusoga, P., & Douglas, G. (2008). Assessing the impact of Newham Sports Academy and Future Olympic Talent Development. UK Sport. Commissioned report, Newham Sports Council.

Currently working as the sport psychologist for Volleyball England and British Equestrian Federation

Journal articles

Low, W., Sandercock, G.R.H., Freeman, P., Winter, M., Butt, J., & Maynard, I. (2020). Pressure Training for Performance Domains: A Meta-Analysis. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1037/spy0000202

Cholerton, R., Breckon, J., Butt, J., & Quirk, H. (2019). Experiences Influencing Walking Football Initiation in 55- to 75-Year-Old Adults: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 1-13. http://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2019-0123

Mack, R., Breckon, J., O'Halloran, P., & Butt, J. (2019). Enhancing athlete engagement in sport psychology interventions using motivational interviewing: a case study. The Sport Psychologist, 33 (2), 159-168. http://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2018-0053

Stoker, M., Maynard, I., Butt, J., Hays, K., & Hughes, P. (2019). The effect of manipulating individual consequences and training demands on experiences of pressure with elite disability shooters. The sport psychologist. http://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2017-0045

Brown, C., Butt, J., & Sarkar, M. (2019). Overcoming performance slumps: Psychological resilience in expert cricket batsmen. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2018.1545709

Mack, R., Breckon, J., Butt, J., & Maynard, I. (2017). Exploring the Understanding and Application of Motivational Interviewing in Applied Sport Psychology. The Sport Psychologist, 31 (4), 396-409. http://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2016-0125

Hodgson, L., Butt, J., & Maynard, I. (2017). Exploring the psychological attributes underpinning elite sports coaching. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 12 (4), 439-451. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1747954117718017

Weinberg, R., Butt, J., Mellano, K., & Harmsion, R. (2017). The stability of mental toughness across situations: taking a social-cognitive approach. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 48 (3), 280-302. http://doi.org/10.7352/IJSP.2017.48.280

Butt, J., & Weinberg, R. (2017). Part I: Introduction. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 48 (3), 183-184. http://doi.org/10.7352/IJSP.2017.48.183

Weinberg, R., & Butt, J. (2017). Part II: Introduction. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 48 (3), 278-279. http://doi.org/10.7352/IJSP.2017.48.278

Stoker, M., Maynard, I., Butt, J., Hays, K., Lindsay, P., & Norenberg, D.A. (2017). The effect of manipulating training demands and consequences on experiences of pressure in elite netball. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 29 (4), 434-448. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2017.1298166

Stoker, M., Lindsay, P., Butt, J., Bawden, M., & Maynard, I.W. (2016). Elite coaches' experiences of creating pressure training environments. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY, 47 (3), 262-281. http://doi.org/10.7352/IJSP.2016.47.262

Ludlam, K.E., Bawden, M., Butt, J., Lindsay, P., & Maynard, I. (2016). Perceptions of Engaging with a Super-Strengths Approach in Elite Sport. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 29 (3), 251-269. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2016.1255278

Stoker, M., Lindsay, P., Butt, J., Bawden, M., & Maynard, I. (2016). Elite coaches' experiences of creating pressure training environments for performance enhancement. International Journal of Sport Pyschology, 47 (3), 262-281. http://www.ijsp-online.com/abstract/view/47/262

Ludlam, K., Butt, J., Bawden, M., Lindsay, P., & Maynard, I. (2015). A strengths-based consultancy approach in elite sport : exploring super strengths. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 28 (2), 216-233. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2015.1105881

Slack, L.A., Maynard, I., Butt, J., & Olusoga, P. (2015). An evaluation of a mental toughness education and training program for early-career English football league referees. Sports Psychologist, 29 (3), 237-257. http://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2014-0015

Beaumont, C., Maynard, I., & Butt, J. (2015). Effective ways to develop and maintain robust sport-confidence : strategies advocated by sport psychology consultants. Journal of applied sport psychology, 27 (3), 301-318. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2014.996302

Foster, D., Maynard, I., Butt, J., & Hays, K. (2015). Delivery of psychological skills training to youngsters. Journal of applied sport psychology, 28 (1), 62-77. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2015.1063097

Mills, A., Butt, J., Maynard, I., & Harwood, C. (2014). Toward an understanding of optimal development environments within elite English soccer academies. The Sport Psychologist, 28 (2), 137-150. http://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2013-0018

Slack, L., Butt, J., Maynard, I., & Olusoga, P. (2014). Understanding mental toughness in elite football officiating : perceptions of English Premier League referees. Sport and exercise psychology review, 10 (1), 4-24.

Mills, A., Butt, J., Maynard, I., & Harwood, C. (2014). Examining the development environmentsof elite English Football Academies: theplayers’ perspective. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, 9 (6), 1457-1472. http://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.9.6.1457

Olusoga, P., Maynard, I., Butt, J., & Hays, K. (2014). Coaching under pressure: mental skills training for sports coaches. Sport and exercise psychology review, 10 (3), 31-44.

Slack, L., Maynard, I., Butt, J., & Olusoga, P. (2013). Factors underpinning elite sport officiating: perceptions of English Premier League referees. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 25 (3), 298-315. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200.2012.726935

Mills, A., Butt, J., Maynard, I., & Harwood, C. (2012). Identifying factors perceived to influence the development of elite youth football academy players. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30 (15), 1593-1604. http://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2012.710753

Olusoga, P., Butt, J., Maynard, I., & Hays, K. (2012). Coaching under pressure: A study of successful British Olympic coaches. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30 (3), 229-239. http://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.639384

Butt, J., Weinberg, R., Breckon, J., & Claytor, R. (2011). Adolescent physical activity participation and motivational determinants across gender, age, and race. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 8 (8), 1074-1083.

Weinberg, R., Butt, J., & Culp, B. (2011). Coaches' views of mental toughness and how it is built. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 9 (2), 156-172. http://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2011.567106

Hays, K., Thomas, O., Butt, J., & Maynard, I. (2010). The role of confidence profiling in cognitive-behavioral interventions in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 24 (3), 393-414. http://journals.humankinetics.com/tsp-contents

Hays, K., Thomas, O., Butt, J., & Maynard, I. (2010). The development of confidence profiling in sport. The Sport Psychologist, 24 (3), 373-392. http://journals.humankinetics.com/tsp-contents

Olusoga, P., Butt, J., Maynard, I., & Hays, K. (2010). Stress and coping: a study of world class coaches. Journal of applied sport psychology, 22 (3), 274-293. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413201003760968

Butt, J., Weinberg, R.S., & Culp, B. (2010). Exploring mental toughness in NCAA athletes. Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, 3 (2), 316-332. http://journals.humankinetics.com/jis-back-issues/jis-volume-3-issue-2-december/exploring-mental-toughness-in-ncaa-athletes

Olusoga, P., Butt, J., Hays, K., & Maynard, I. (2009). Stress in elite sports coaching: identifying stressors. Journal of applied sport psychology, 21 (4), 442-459. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200903222921

Butt, J., & Molnar, G. (2009). Involuntary career termination in sport: a case study of the process of structurally induced failure. Sport in Society, 12 (2), 240-257. http://doi.org/10.1080/17430430802591027

Weinberg, R., Butt, J., Knight, B., Burke, K.L., & Jackson, A. (2003). The relationship between the use and effectiveness of imagery: an exploratory investigation. Journal of applied sport psychology, 15 (1), 26-40. http://doi.org/10.1080/10413200305398

Butt, J., Weinberg, R., & Horn, T.S. (2003). The intensity and directional interpretation of anxiety: fluctuations throughout competition and relationship to performance. The Sport psychologist, 17 (1), 35-54. http://www.humankinetics.com/tsp/viewarticle.cfm?aid=2787

Ingham, A.G., Chase, M.A., & Butt, J. (2002). From the performance principle to the developmental principle: Every kid a winner? Quest, 54 (4), 308-331. http://doi.org/10.1080/00336297.2002.10491781

Weinberg, R., Butt, J., Knight, B., & Perritt, N. (2001). Collegiate coaches’ perceptions of their goal-setting practices: a qualitative investigation. Journal of applied sport psychology, 13 (4), 374-398. http://doi.org/10.1080/104132001753226256

Weinberg, R.S., Butt, J., & Knight, B. (2001). High school coaches' perceptions of the process of goal setting. The Sport psychologist, 15 (1), 20-47. http://www.humankinetics.com/TSP/viewarticle.cfm?aid=1885

Theses / Dissertations

Hodgson, L. (2018). The role of emotional abilities in elite sports coaching. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Butt, J., & Maynard, I. http://doi.org/10.7190/shu-thesis-00149

Slack, L.A. (2013). Mental toughness in elite football officiating. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Maynard, I., Butt, J., & Olusoga, P.

Olusoga, P.F. (2011). Stress and coping : A study of elite sports coaches. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Maynard, I., Butt, J., & Hays, K.

Hays, K. (2007). The role of confidence in world class sport performance. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Maynard, I., Thomas, O., Butt, J., & Bawden, M.

Joanne supervises and evaluates British Psychological Society Stage 2 training students. Two of these students are currently interns at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield.

Joanne is supervising four PhD students in the following areas

• Psychology of elite sports coaching and the role of emotional expertise
• Exploring a strengths-based approach to consultancy in elite sport
• Developing a framework of pressure training in elite sport
• The Processes and efficacy of motivational interviewing in sport psychology

Joanne has supervised five students

• David Foster, 2009-2015 (MPhil): Psychological skills training and youth: Developmental considerations.
• Dr Andrew Mills, 2009-2013.Talent Development in elite youth football: From theory to practice.
• Dr Liam Slack, 2010-2013. Elite Premier League Football Referees: Factors underpinning excellence and Mental Toughness Training Interventions.
• Dr Peter Olusoga, 2006-2011. Stress in Elite Sports Coaching.
• Dr Kate Hays, 2005-2008. The Role of Confidence in World Class Sport Performance.