Dr Ian Boardley HNC, BSc, PhD, PGCert

Dr Ian Boardley

School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences
Reader in Sport and Exercise Psychology
Chair of Health and Safety Committee, College of Life and Environmental Sciences

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 415 8399
Email
i.d.boardley@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
Address
School of Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Boardley is internationally known for his expertise on the psychosocial processes governing moral behaviour in physical activity contexts. This work includes moral behaviours that occur on the sports field (e.g., prosocial and antisocial behaviour), as well as those that occur in sport, exercise, and dance (use of supplements and image and performance enhancing drugs). Ian’s research has been supported by funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Olympic Committee, the European Union, and the Economic and Social Research Council. Ian has further research interests in coaching efficacy, social identity, and how athletes' perceptions of their coach influence athletes’ cognitions, emotions, and behaviour.

Qualifications

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice, 2013, University of Brimingham
  • PhD in Sport Psychology, 2008, University of Birmingham 
  • BSc (Hons) in Sport Science (1st Class), 2005, University of Leeds
  • HNC Chemistry

Biography

After obtaining a BSc (Hons) in Sport Science (1st class) at the University of Leeds in 2005, Dr. Boardley continued his studies at the University of Birmingham where he obtained a PhD in Sport Psychology. On completing his PhD in 2008, he immediately secured a post at the University of Birmingham as a Lecturer in Sport Psychology and Education, was subsequently promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2016 before being promoted to Reader in 2020.

Teaching

Ian leads the Interdisciplinary Research and Impact module on the MSci programme, as well as teaching on the undergraduate Moral Behaviour and Doping in Sport and Mental Health in Sport modules. He also supervises students on the Year 3 Project module.

Postgraduate supervision

Ian Boardley’s research investigates personal and social factors influencing moral behaviour in sport and exercise. His work investigates antecedents of on-field behaviours such as helping (i.e., prosocial) and injuring (i.e., antisocial) other players, as well as off-field behaviours, with a particular focus on the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport (i.e., doping) and exercise (i.e., anabolic steroid use). His work in the field of doping has been supported by funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), International Olympic Committee (IOC), European Union (EU), and Economic and Social Research Council (ESCRC). His research interests also include examining factors influencing coaching efficacy and social identity and their influences on athlete behaviour and motivation. 

Dr Boardley currently supervises eight doctoral researchers and welcomes applications from potential students in his areas of research interest.

Doctoral research

PhD title
Moral Disengagement in Sport

Research

Ian's work focusses on furthering understanding on the psychosocial processes governing moral behavior in sport and exercise, with a predominant focus on the processes that underpin use of performance enhancing substances. Dr. Boardley is internationally recognized for his work introducing the construct of moral disengagement to the field of sport and exercise psychology. A fairly unique aspect of his research is the use of both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, dependent on the specific research question/s being addressed.

Other activities

  • Associate Editor for the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology (2013 – present)
  • Member of the steering committee for the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Clean Sport Special Interest Group (2015 – present)
  • Founder member of the Clean Sport Alliance (2016 – present)
  • Member of UKAD’s Innovation Commission

Publications

  • van de Ven, K., Boardley, I., & Chandler, M. (in press). Identifying best-practice amongst health professionals who work with people using image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs) through participatory action research. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health.
  • Herbison, J. D., Martin, L. J., Slatcher, R. B., Boardley, I., Benson, A., Sutcliffe, J., ... & Bruner, M. W. (in press). The Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR): a novel approach for examining social environments in youth sport. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology.
  • Boardley, I. D., Chandler, M., Backhouse, S. H., & Petroczi, A. (2021). Co-creating a social science research agenda for clean sport: An international Delphi study. International Journal of Drug Policy, 103161.
  • McLaren, C. D., Boardley, I. D., Benson, A. J., Martin, L. J., Fransen, K., Herbison, J. D., ... & Bruner, M. W. (2021). Follow the leader: Identity leadership and moral behaviour in social situations among youth sport teammates. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 55, 101940.
  • Petróczi, A., Heyes, A., Thrower, S. N., Martinelli, L. A., Backhouse, S. H., Boardley, I. D., & RESPECT Consortium. (2021). Understanding and building clean (er) sport together: Community-based participatory research with elite athletes and anti-doping organisations from five European countries. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 55, 101932.
  • Sutcliffe, J. T., Herbison, J. D., Martin, L. J., McLaren, C. D., Slatcher, R., Benson, A. J., ... & Bruner, M. W. (2021). Exploring parent-athlete sport related communication outside of the sport environment with the Electronically Activated Recorder. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 54, 101919.
  • Zoob Carter, B. N., Boardley, I. D., & van de Ven, K. (2021). The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Male Strength Athletes Who Use Non-prescribed Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 305.
  • Petróczi, A., Backhouse, S. H., Boardley, I. D., Saugy, M., Pitsiladis, Y., Viret, M., ... & McNamee, M. (2020). ‘Clean athlete status’ cannot be certified: Calling for caution, evidence and transparency in ‘alternative’ anti-doping systems. International Journal of Drug Policy, 103030.
  • Matosic, D., Ntoumanis, N., Boardley, I. D., & Sedikides, C. (2020). Narcissism, beliefs about controlling interpersonal style, and moral disengagement in sport coaches. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(5), 592-606.
  • Boardley, I. D. (2020). Moral Behavior in Sport: Reviewing Recent Research and Envisioning a Possible Future. Handbook of Sport Psychology, 391-409.
  • Boardley, I. D., Matosic, D., & Bruner, M. W. (2020). A Longitudinal Examination of the Relations Between Moral Disengagement and Antisocial Behavior in Sport. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 42(2), 123-131.
  • Boardley, I. D., Grix, J., Ntoumanis, N., & Smith, A. L. (2019). A qualitative investigation of coaches’ doping confrontation efficacy beliefs. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 45, 101576.
  • Boardley, I. D., Smith, A. L., Ntoumanis, N., Gucciardi, D. F., & Harris, T. S. (2019). Perceptions of coach doping confrontation efficacy and athlete susceptibility to intentional and inadvertent doping. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 29(10), 1647-1654.
  • Hurst, P., Kavussanu, M., Boardley, I., & Ring, C. (2019). Sport supplement use predicts doping attitudes and likelihood via sport supplement beliefs. Journal of sports sciences, 37(15), 1734-1740.
  • Heyes, A. R., & Boardley, I. D. (2019). Psychosocial factors facilitating use of cognitive enhancing drugs in education: A qualitative investigation of moral disengagement and associated processes. Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy, 26(4), 329-338.
  • Boardley, I. (2019). Licit forms of performance enhancement and possible links with IPED use. Human Enhancement Drugs.
  • Boardley, I. D., (2019). Moral Behavior in Physical Activity. In T. Horn & A. Smith (Eds.), Advances in Sport and Exercise Psychology (4th ed.). Champaign, Il: Human Kinetics.
  • Kassim, A. F. M., & Boardley, I. D. (2018). Athlete perceptions of coaching effectiveness and athlete-level outcomes in team and individual sports: a cross-cultural investigation. The Sport Psychologist, 32(3), 189-198.
  • Bruner, M. W., Boardley, I. D., Benson, A. J., Wilson, K. S., Root, Z., Turnnidge, J., ... & Côté, J. (2018). Disentangling the relations between social identity and prosocial and antisocial behavior in competitive youth sport. Journal of youth and adolescence, 47(5), 1113-1127.
  • Boardley, I. D. (2018). Coaching efficacy research: learning from the past and looking to the future. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11(1), 214-237.
  • Boardley, I. D., Smith, A. L., Mills, J., Grix, J., Wynne, C., & Wilkins, L. (2018). Development of moral disengagement and self-regulatory efficacy assessments relevant to doping in sport and exercise. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 36, 57-70.
  • Bruner, M. W., Boardley, I. D., Allan, V., Root, Z., Buckham, S., Forrest, C., & Côté, J. (2017). Examining social identity and intrateam moral behaviours in competitive youth ice hockey using stimulated recall. Journal of sports sciences, 35(20), 1963-1974.
  • Mills, J. P., & Boardley, I. D. (2017). Advancing leadership in sport: Time to ‘actually’ take the blinkers off? Sports Medicine, 47(3), 565-570.
  • Boardley, I. D., Smith, A. L., Mills, J. P., Grix, J., & Wynne, C. (2017). Empathic and self-regulatory processes governing doping behavior. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 1495.
  • Bruner, M. W., Boardley, I. D., Allan, V., Forrest, C., Root, Z., & Côte, J. (2017). Understanding Social Identity and Intrateam Moral Behavior in Competitive Youth Ice Hockey: A Narrative Perspective. The Sport Psychologist, 31(2), 173-186.
  • Mills, J. P., & Boardley, I. D. (2017). Development and initial validation of an indirect measure of transformational leadership integrity. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 32, 34-46.
  • Matosic, D., Ntoumanis, N., Boardley, I. D., Sedikides, C., Stewart, B. D., & Chatzisarantis, N. (2017). Narcissism and coach interpersonal style: A self‐determination theory perspective. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 27(2), 254-261.
  • Matosic, D., Ntoumanis, N., Boardley, I. D., Stenling, A., & Sedikides, C. (2016). Linking narcissism, motivation, and doping attitudes in sport: A multilevel investigation involving coaches and athletes. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 38(6), 556-566.
  • Mills, J., & Boardley, I. D., (2016). Expert Premier League soccer managers’ use of transformational leadership behaviours and attitude towards sport integrity: An intrinsic case study. International Journal of Sport Science & Coaching, 11(3), 382–394.
Boardley, I. D., Allen, N., Simmons, A., & Laws, H. (2016). Nutritional, medicinal, and performance enhancing supplementation in dance. Performance Enhancement & Health, 4(1), 3-11.

View all publications in research portal

Expertise

Sport psychology; prosocial and antisocial behaviours in sport; issues surrounding coach confidence and effectiveness; doping in sport and exercise

Alternative contact number available for this expert: contact the press office

Expertise

Sport psychology; prosocial and antisocial behaviours in sport; issues surrounding coach confidence and effectiveness; doping in sport and exercise

Alternative contact number available for this expert: contact the press office