Teaching / professional interests
Sarah Ullrich-French teaches courses in sport and exercise psychology, social psychology, and research methods. She holds memberships in international professional organizations including the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, the Society for Research on Adolescents, and the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology.
Research interests
Dr. Ullrich-French’s research area addresses social psychology of sport and physical activity contexts. Her first line of research, motivated by the decline in physical activity across the adolescent years, examines social relationships and physical activity motivational processes. She has focused on adolescents’ multiple social relationships and, in particular, examined these relationships in combination with one another to better understand motivation and behavior. Her second line of research examines how physical activity contexts and behavior link with overall positive development and health.
Recent accomplishments
- Ullrich-French, S., & Cox, A.E. (2009). Using cluster analysis to examine the combinations of
motivation regulations of physical education students. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 31, 358-379.
- Ullrich-French, S. & Smith, A.L. (2009). Social and motivational predictors of continued
youth soccer participation. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 10, 87-95.
- Cox, A.E., & Ullrich-French, S. (2009). Examining Combinations of Peer and Teacher
Relationships in Physical Education. Paper presented to the annual meeting for the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), Austin, Texas. [abstract published in Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 31, S114]
- Ullrich-French, S., McDonough, M.L., Poliseo, J.M., & Kraemer, A.J. (2009). Facilitating Social
Connections Fosters Positive Outcomes: A Promising Avenue for Positive Youth Development. Paper presented to the annual meeting for the NASPSPA, Austin, Texas. [abstract published in Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 31, S142-S143]
Educational background
- Ph.D., Sport and Exercise Psychology, Purdue University (2006)
- M.S., Sport and Exercise Psychology, Purdue University (2002)
- B.A., Sociology, Seattle University (1997)
