Dr Maria Kavussanu, Senior Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Psychology, has been invited to lecture at the Cutting Edge 2012 Great Debates.
These debates are organized by RCUK in partnership with the Royal Institution, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, The Institute of Engineering and Technology, and PODIUM (the Further and Higher Education Unit for the 2012 Games). They will explore the science, technology, psychology and ethical considerations behind the research at the forefront of producing the UK’s best athletes and will feed into the pre-Olympic congress, ICSEMIS. Maria will be a panellist at the event that focuses on basketball both Olympic and Paralympic. The event will take place in London on 25 January 2012.
More information about the event can be found on the Royal Institution website.
Maria’s main area of research is morality in sport, which she has studied for the last 15 years. She seeks to understand why athletes cheat, behave aggressively, and break the rules of the game, but also why they engage in prosocial behaviours such as helping injured opponents or supporting and encouraging their teammates during a match. She has identified both personal and social influences on these behaviours.