Rate My Professor Elaine Hargreaves

Professor Elaine Hargreaves is Professor and Dean of the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences in the Division of Sciences at the University of Otago. She earned her BSc (Hons) from the University of Glasgow and PhD in Exercise Psychology from the University of Wales, Bangor. Joining the University of Otago in 2002, she progressed through academic ranks to her current leadership role, also serving as Associate Dean (Curriculum). Hargreaves holds editorial positions as Associate Editor for the European Journal of Sport Science and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. Her research specializes in the psychology of physical activity, focusing on behaviour change mechanisms, affective responses to exercise, and motivation via Self-Determination Theory. Key projects include the Rugby Fans in Training New Zealand programme, a Health Research Council-funded healthy lifestyle intervention for men delivered through professional rugby, and a University of Otago-funded intervention promoting short activity breaks for office workers after 30 minutes of sitting. She has supervised numerous postgraduate students, including PhD completions such as Amanda Calder's 2019 thesis on affective memory in exercise and Matthew Jenkins' 2018 work on psychological flexibility and physical activity motivation.

Hargreaves' influential publications include Connor, Harrison, & Hargreaves (2026) on self-selected intensity exercise effects on anxiety in the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand; Gale, Hargreaves, Haszard, & Peddie (2025) protocol for evening activity breaks in Pilot & Feasibility Studies; Novis, Hargreaves, Jowett, & Rehrer (2025) on commuter cycling benefits in European Journal of Sport Science; and Gale, Peddie, & Hargreaves (2024) on barriers to evening activity breaks in International Journal of Behavioral Medicine. Earlier works encompass Dawson et al. (2014) on motivational interviewing for childhood weight feedback in Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. She received the Division of Sciences Senior Teacher of the Year award in 2018 and delivered her Inaugural Professorial Lecture titled 'A simple choice' in March 2026. Hargreaves welcomes postgraduate students interested in physical activity psychology.