- Exercise Psychology

- Health Psychology

- Environmental Psychology

My main research focuses on determinants of active transport, with the overarching aim of combating obesity and cardiovascular disease. Pedestrians minimize the energy consequences of walking and I use choice of stairs, at the expense of the escalator or lift, as a model of this energy minimization. One major strand uses point-of-choice prompts in the environment to encourage accumulation of physical activity during daily living. In this research, pedestrians are prompted by signs to take the stairs rather than escalator (public access sites) or the lift (worksites) for the benefit of their health. Complimentary research tests the contribution of cues and non-conscious processes to habitual choices in an attempt to derive optimal prompts for the point-of-choice. Additionally, I investigate the contribution of social cognition models to planned exercise behaviour. These longitudinal studies involve psychological predictors of fitness and fatness in a cohort of RAF recruits and shorter term research to increase walking participation in adults and children. I have successfully supervised 13 doctoral students. I am on the editorial advisory board for the British Journal of Health Psychology and peer reviewer for 11 psychology and public health journals. I am hopeless at sport but can still rip a dance floor.

For research on point-of-choice prompts for stair climbing I am collaborating nationally with N. Mutrie (Strathclyde University) and O. Webb (Loughborough University) and internationally with Anna Puig-Ribera (University of Vic, Barcelona), L. Engbers (TNO, Leiden) and R. Masters (Hong Kong University). Further international collaborations are on walking participation in children (A. McManus; Hong Kong University) and adults (E. Cerin; Hong Kong University), stair climbing and building design (G. Nicoll; University of Texas), and implicit motor learning (R. Masters; Hong Kong University). Additionally, I am collaborating nationally with R. Lowe and P. Bennett (University of Wales, Swansea) on implicit attitudes in exercise. Within the University of Birmingham, I am collaborating with colleagues in Sport and Exercise Sciences, Public Health and General Practice on improvements to the consultation process in exercise on prescription schemes and within the School on social cognitive determinants of fitness and fatness in RAF personnel. This research has been facilitated by grants in the UK from NHS Health Scotland, South and Central Birmingham Teaching PCT (NHS) and ESRC, and internationally by grants from the Health & Health Services Research Fund, Hong Kong and the Department of Health and AGAUR, Catalunya, Spain.

Listen to my podcast 'Nudges towards and away from obesity' (MP3 - 13.7MB) or read the podcast transcript.

Webb, O.J., Eves, F.F. & Kerr, J (in press) A Statistical Summary of Mall-based Stair Climbing Interventions,  Journal of Physical Activity and Health

Hurren, N. M., Eves, F.F., & Blannin, A.K. (in press) Is the effect of prior exercise on postprandial lipaemia the same for a moderate-fat meal as it is for a high-fat meal? British Journal of Nutrition

Olander, E & Eves, F.F. (in press) Elevator availability and its impact on stair use in a workplace. Journal of Environmental Psychology

Lewis, A. & Eves, F.F. (in press) Specific effects of a calorific expenditure intervention in overweight pedestrians. Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Olander, E & Eves, F.F. (2011) Effectiveness and cost of two stair climbing interventions - less is more. American Journal of Health Promotion, 25 (4), 231-236

Ryan, J., Lyon, K., Webb, O.J., Eves, F.F., & Ryan, C.G. (2011) Promoting physical activity in a low socioeconomic area: Results from an intervention targeting stair climbing. Preventive Medicine, 52, 352–354, 352–354

Webb, O.J., Eves, F.F. & Smith, L. (2011) Investigating behavioural mimicry in the context of stair/escalator choice. British Journal of Health Psychology, 16, 373–385, 373–385

Eves, F.F. (2010) Effects of point-of-decision prompts for stair use depend on the alternative. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 38, 573–574

Scott, E.J., Eves, F.F., Hoppé, R. & French, DP. ( 2010) Dancing to a different tune: The Theory of Planned Behaviour when the behaviour is constrained. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11, 250-257

Puig-Ribera, A & Eves F.F. (2010) Promoting stair climbing in Barcelona: similarities and differences with interventions in English-speaking populations. European Journal of Public Health, 20, 100-102

Darker, C.D., French, D.P., Eves, F.F., & Sniehotta, F.F (2010) An intervention to promote walking amongst the general population based on an "extended" Theory of Planned Behaviour: A waiting list randomised controlled trial.  Psychology and Health. 25: 1, 71-88: 1, 71-88

Scott, E.J., Eves, F.F., Hoppé, R. & French D.P. (2009). Accessibility of salient beliefs about the outcomes of physical activity. British Journal of Health Psychology, 14, 159-174

Orrell, A.J., Masters, R.S.W. & Eves, F.F. (2009). Reinvestment and movement disruption following stroke. Neurorehabilitation & Neural Repair, 23, 177-183, 177-183

Eves, F.F., & Hoppé, R. (2009). Accessibility of links between behaviours and outcomes; The case of physical activity. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 31, 249-266, 31, 249-266

Jolly, K., Duda, J.L., Daley, A, Eves, F.F., Mutrie, N., Ntoumanis, N., Rouse, P.C., Lodhia, R., & Williams, G.C. (2009) Evaluation of a standard provision versus an autonomy promotive exercise referral programme: Rationale and study design BMC Public Health 2009, 9:176

Eves, F.F., Olander, E. K, Nicoll, G., Puig Ribera, A., & Griffin, C. (2009) Increasing stair climbing in a train station; effects of contextual variables and visibility. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 29, 300-303.

Masters, R.S.W., Maxwell, J.P., & Eves, F.F. (2009) Marginally perceptible outcome feedback, motor learning and implicit processes. Consciousness and Cognition, 18, 639-645

Calitri, R., Lowe, R., Eves, F.F. & Bennett, P. (2009) Associations between visual attention, implicit and explicit attitude, and behaviour for physical activity. Psychology and Health 24, (9), 1105–1123

Eves, F.F. (2008) All choices are not equal; Effects of context on point-of-choice prompts for stair climbing. Obesity Reviews, 9, 83-84

Eves, F.F., Masters, R.S.W., McManus, A., Leung, M., Wong, P., & White, M.J. (2008) Contextual barriers to lifestyle physical activity interventions in Hong Kong. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 40, 965-971

Olander, E. K, Eves, F.F. & Puig Ribera, A. (2008) Promoting stair climbing: stair-riser banners are better than posters... sometimes. Preventive Medicine, 46, 308-310

Eves, F.F., Lewis, A.L, & Griffin, C. (2008) Modeling effects of stair width on rates of stair climbing in a train station. Preventive Medicine, 47, 270-272

Eves, F.F., Masters, R.S.W., & McManus, A. (2008) Effects of point-of-choice stair climbing interventions in Hong Kong. Hong Kong Medical Journal, 14, suppl 5, S36-39

Orrell, A.J., Eves, F.F., Masters, R.S.W., & MacMahon, K.M.A. (2007). Implicit Sequence Learning Processes after Unilateral Stroke. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 17, 335-354

Eves, F.F. Scott, E.J. Hoppé, R. & French D.P. (2007). Using the affective priming paradigm to explore the attitudes underlying walking behaviour. British Journal of Health Psychology, 12, 571-585

Scott, E.J., Eves, F.F., French D.P., & Hoppé, R. (2007) The Theory of Planned Behaviour predicts self-reports of walking but does not predict step-counts. British Journal of Health Psychology, 12, 601-620

Webb, O.J., & Eves, F.F. (2007) Effects of environmental changes in a stair climbing intervention: generalization to stair descent. American Journal of Health Promotion, 22, 38-44

Webb, O.J., & Eves, F.F. (2007) Promoting Stair Climbing: Intervention Effects Generalize to a Subsequent Stair Ascent. American Journal of Health Promotion 22, 114-119, 114-119

Webb, O.J., & Eves, F.F. (2007) Promoting stair use: effects of message specificity and validation. Health Education Research, 22, 29-57

Masters, R.S.W., Pall, H.S., MacMahon, K.M.A & Eves, F.F. (2007) Duration of Parkinson’s disease is associated with an increased propensity for ‘reinvestment’. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair, 21, 123-126

Darker, C.D., French, D.P., Longdon, S., Morris, K., & Eves, F.F. (2007).    Are beliefs elicited biased by question order? A theory of planned behaviour belief elicitation study about walking behaviour in the general population. British Journal of Health Psychology, 12, 93-110

Eves, F.F. & Webb, O.J. (2006) Worksite interventions to increase stair climbing; Reasons for caution. Preventive Medicine, 43, 4-7

Eves, F.F. & Masters, R.S.W. (2006) An uphill struggle: Effects of a point-of-choice stair climbing intervention in a non-English speaking population. International Journal of Epidemiology, 35, 1286-1290

Eves, F.F., Webb, O.J. & Mutrie, N. (2006) A workplace intervention to promote stair climbing: greater effects in the overweight. Obesity 14, 2210-2216

Orrell, A.J., Eves, F.F. & Masters^, R.S.W. (2006) Implicit motor learning of a balancing task. Gait and Posture, 23, 9-16

Orrell, A.J., Eves, F.F. & Masters^, R.S.W. (2006) Motor Learning of a Dynamic Balancing Task after Stroke: Implicit Implications for Stroke Rehabilitation. Physical Therapy. 86, 369-380

Webb, O.J., & Eves, F.F. (2005) Promoting stair climbing: Single vs. multiple messages. American Journal of Public Health, 95, 1543-1544.

Maxwell, J.P., Masters, R.S.W., & Eves, F.F. (2003) The role of working memory in motor learning and performance. Consciousness and Cognition, 12, 376-402

Law, J., Masters, R.M., Bray, S., Eves, F.F, & Bardswell, I. (2003) Motor performance as a function of audience affability and metaknowledge. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology , 25, 484-500

Eves, F.F, Hoppé, R., & McLaren, L. (2003) Prediction of specific types of physical activity with the Theory of Planned Behavior. Journal of Applied Biobehavioural Research, 8, 77-95

Callaghan, P., Eves, F.F., Norman, P., Chang, A.M., & Lung, C.Y. (2002) Applying the Transtheoretical Model of Change to Exercise in Young Chinese People. British Journal of Health Psychology, 7, 267-282

Lowe, R., Eves, F., & Carroll, D. (2002) The influence of affective and instrumental beliefs on exercise intentions and behavior: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32, 1241-1252.

Kerr, J., Eves, F., & Carroll, D. (2001) Encouraging stair use: Banners are better than posters. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 1192-1193

Kerr, J., Eves, F., & Carroll, D. (2001) Can posters prompt stair use in a worksite environment? Journal of Occupational Health, 43, 205-207

Walton, A.J. & Eves, F. (2001) Exploring drug users’ illness representations of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C using repertory grids. Psychology and Health, 16, 489-500.

Kerr, J., Eves, F., & Carroll, D. (2001) Getting more people on the stairs: The impact of a new message format. Journal of Health Psychology, 6, 495-500

Kerr, J., Eves, F., & Carroll, D. (2001) The influence of poster prompts on stair use: The effects of setting, poster size and content. British Journal of Health Psychology, 6, 397-405

Kerr, J., Eves, F., & Carroll, D. (2001) Six-month observational study of prompted stair climbing. Preventive Medicine, 33, 422-427

Maxwell, J.P., Masters, R.S.W., & Eves, F.F. (2000) From novice to no know-how: a longitudinal study of implicit motor learning. Journal of Sports Sciences , 18, 111-120

Kerr, J., Eves, F., & Carroll, D. (2000) Posters can prompt less active individuals to use the stairs. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 54, 942-943