Dr Rachel Arnold
Profile
Rachel joined the Department for Health at the University of Bath in September 2012 following a seven-year programme at Loughborough University, studying for her BSc in Sport and Exercise Science (1st Class Honours), MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology (Distinction), and PhD. Rachel’s PhD included a series of seven studies and was entitled “The Assessment and Examination of Organizational Stressors in Sport Performers”.
Rachel’s research has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at national and international conferences. In 2009, Rachel was awarded the Sir Robert Martin prize, which is the premier award at Loughborough University and recognises a combination of both academic and non-academic achievement. Rachel was also awarded the Young Investigator Award at the International Convention on Science, Education, and Medicine in Sport (ICSEMIS) conference in 2012.
Rachel is an international student representative, initiative leader, and committee member for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and has provided support to a number of athletes and teams. In addition, Rachel works closely with sport organizations to create effective performance environments and cultures, including British Triathlon, the National Health Service, Ireland Hockey, the English and Wales Cricket Board, Loughborough Sport, and the Youth Sport Trust. Rachel is also a premier league hockey player and a harnessing talent performer for the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust.
Research interests
Rachel’s research focuses on the psychology of sporting excellence. More specifically, her research explores how sport performers and teams deliver sustainable performances and flourish in pressured environments and the role that organizations play in such endeavours. Rachel is also interested in the transfer of her research themes (see below) to other high performance domains (e.g., business, military, education, and the performing arts):
- Performance Leadership and Management (e.g., developing an organizational vision, managing logistics and operations, elite sport leadership).
- The Organizational Stress Process (e.g., stressors, appraisal, coping, emotions, social support, environmental and personal constraints and enablers, performance, outcomes, and stress management).
- Along with Dr David Fletcher & Professor Kevin Daniels, Rachel developed The Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP). This 23-item measure assesses the frequency, intensity, and duration of a range of organizational stressors encountered by sport performers. The OSI-SP is developed for use by sport performers, although it can be administered by coaches, sport psychologists, national governing bodies, or any personnel working with or supporting sport performers. The OSI-SP can also be used for research purposes. If you would like to use the OSI-SP, please contact Rachel.
- Performance Environments and Cultures (e.g., culture creation, communication, change management, high performing teams).
- The Enhancement of Personal Performance (e.g., psychological skills, achievement motivation, self-confidence, leadership and management development).
Teaching
Undergraduate
- HL20042: Psychological dynamics of sport
- HL30055: Psychology of elite sports performance
- HL30109: Contemporary resarch issues
Publications
Articles
Arnold, R., Fletcher, D. and Daniels, K., 2013. Development and validation of the Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP). Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 35 (2), pp. 180-196.
Wallinger, M., Arnold, R., Molyneux, L. and Fletcher, D., 2012. Winning leadership: High performance in sport and business. Lane4: The Wave
Arnold, R. and Fletcher, D., 2012. High performance leadership: A black and white issue or different shades of grey? Lane4: The Wave, 3, pp. 26-19.
Arnold, R., Didymus, F. and Maher, J., 2012. Association for Applied Sport Psychology 2011 Conference Review. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 8 (1).
Barnes, J., Didymus, F. and Arnold, R., 2012. The 13th FEPSAC European Congress of Sport Psychology. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 8 (1).
Arnold, R. and Fletcher, D., 2012. A research synthesis and taxonomic classification of the organizational stressors encountered by sport performers. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 34 (3), pp. 397-429.
Arnold, R. and Sarkar, M., 2012. Conference review: European Federation of Sport Psychology Congress, Portugal. PSYPAG Quarterly
Arnold, R., 2012. No limits: The will to succeed. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 3 (2), pp. 155-157.
Arnold, R., Fletcher, D. and Molyneux, L., 2012. Performance leadership and management in elite sport: Recommendations, advice, and suggestions from national performance directors. European Sport Management Quarterly, 12 (4), pp. 317-336.
Arnold, R. and Fletcher, D., 2012. Psychometric issues in organizational stressor research: A review and implications for sport psychology. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 16, pp. 81-100.
Arnold, R., Davies, J., Rumbold, J., Sarkar, M., Maher, J. and Molyneux, L., 2011. AASP Conference 2010 Review. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 7 (1), pp. 56-58.
Fletcher, D. and Arnold, R., 2011. A qualitative study of performance leadership and management in elite sport. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 23 (2), pp. 223-242.
Conference or Workshop Items
Arnold, R. S., 2013. Recent developments in organizational stressor research in competitive sport. In: International Society of Sport Psychology 13th World Congress, 2013-07-21 - 2013-07-25, Beijing.
Arnold, R., Fletcher, D. and Daniels, K., 2012. Development and initial validation of the Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP). In: Meeting of the International Convention on Science, Education, and Medicine in Sport, 2012-07-01, Glasgow.
Arnold, R. and Fletcher, D., 2012. Performance leadership and management. In: Meeting of the International Convention on Science, Education, and Medicine in Sport, 2012-07-01, Glasgow.
Didymus, F., Raspin, I., Fletcher, D. and Arnold, R., 2012. Stress and coping in elite canoe slalom athletes prior to major competition. In: Annual meeting of the British Psychological Society, 2012-05-01, London.
Arnold, R. and Fletcher, D., 2011. A research synthesis and taxonomic classification of the organizational stressors encountered by sport performers. In: Annual meeting of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, 2011-09-01, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Arnold, R. and Fletcher, D., 2011. Lead to succeed: An evidence based approach to performance leadership and management in elite sport. In: Meeting of the European Federation of Sport Psychology, 2011-07-01, Madeira.
Arnold, R. and Fletcher, D., 2011. Psychometric issues in organizational stressor research: A review and implications for sport psychology. In: Annual meeting of the European College of Sport Science, 2011-07-01, Liverpool.
Sarkar, M., Arnold, R., Rumbold, J. and Fletcher, D., 2011. The NHS Olympic Choices Tool: A case study of research impact and Olympic legacy. In: Meeting of the European Federation of Sport Psychology, 2011-07-01, Madeira.
Fletcher, D. and Arnold, R., 2010. A qualitative study of performance leadership and management in elite sport. In: Annual meeting of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, 2010-10-01, Providence, RI.
Arnold, R., Fletcher, D. and Molyneux, L., 2010. Performance leadership and management in elite sport: Recommendations, advice, and suggestions from national performance directors. In: Annual meeting of the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, 2010-10-01, Providence, RI.
Arnold, R., Fletcher, D. and Carr, M., 2010. Understanding performer-organization transactions in elite sport: A qualitative exploration of stressor dimensions. In: Annual meeting of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences, 2010-09-01, Glasgow.
Thesis
Arnold, R., 2012. The assessment and examination of organizational stressors in sport performers. Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)).
Arnold, R., 2009. A qualitative study of performance leadership and management in elite sport. Thesis (Masters). Loughborough University.
