Rate My Professor John Scott-Hamilton

Dr. John Scott-Hamilton is a Lecturer in the School of Psychology within the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of New England, where he plays a key role in undergraduate education and research. He holds a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and a Ph.D., both obtained from the University of New England. In his teaching responsibilities, Dr. Scott-Hamilton serves as Course Coordinator for the Undergraduate Certificate in Psychological Science. He also coordinates and lectures in several core units, including Health Psychology (PSYC304), which examines psychosocial factors in health behaviors and outcomes; Sport and Exercise Psychology (PSYC308), focusing on psychological aspects of athletic performance and training; and Introductory Psychology II (PSYC102), providing foundational knowledge in psychological principles. Through these courses, he contributes to developing students' understanding of applied psychology in health, sport, and general contexts.

Dr. Scott-Hamilton's academic interests center on mindfulness, optimal experience (flow), and performance in sport and exercise. His research investigates the effects of tailored mindfulness-acceptance training on athletic outcomes, such as in competitive cycling, by promoting equanimity to maintain present-moment task-focused attention, thereby reducing anxiety and pessimism while enhancing flow states. He supervises higher-degree research in sport and exercise psychology, positive psychology (including mindfulness and flow), sport and exercise performance enhancement, and physical and psychological health and well-being. As a member of the Psychosocial Health and Wellbeing Research Group, his work aligns with efforts to understand mental health in rural communities, including responses to psychological stressors. Key peer-reviewed publications include: Scott-Hamilton, J., Schutte, N. S., & Brown, R. F. (2016). Effects of a Mindfulness Intervention on Sports-Anxiety, Pessimism and Flow in Competitive Cyclists. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 8(1), 85–103; Scott-Hamilton, J., & Schutte, N. S. (2016). The role of adherence in the effects of a mindfulness intervention for competitive athletes: Changes in mindfulness, flow, pessimism and anxiety. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 10(2), 99–107; Scott-Hamilton, J., Schutte, N. S., Moyle, G. M., & Brown, R. F. (2016). The relationships between mindfulness, sport anxiety, pessimistic attributions and flow in competitive cyclists. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 47(2), 103–121; Denham, J., Gray, A. J., Scott-Hamilton, J., Hagstrom, A. D., & Murphy, A. J. (2018). Small non-coding RNAs are altered by short-term sprint interval training in men. Physiological Reports, 6(7); Denham, J., Gray, A. J., Scott-Hamilton, J., & Hagstrom, A. D. (2017). Sprint interval training decreases circulating microRNAs important for muscle development. International Journal of Sports Medicine; and Denham, J., Scott-Hamilton, J., Hagstrom, A. D., & Gray, A. J. (2017). Cycling power outputs predict functional threshold power and maximum oxygen uptake. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. These works underscore his contributions to sport psychology and exercise physiology.