Rate My Professor Paul Mansell

Dr Paul Mansell is a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology in the School of Health, Education, Policing and Sciences at Staffordshire University, where he has been employed since September 2022. He teaches on BSc and MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology courses. His academic background includes a PhD in stress in sport from the University of Birmingham completed in 2023, an MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Staffordshire University in 2018, Qualified Teacher Status from the University of Wolverhampton in 2007, and a BA (Hons) in Sport, Physical Education and Community Studies from the University of Birmingham in 2005. Prior to his current position, Mansell served as a module leader for various undergraduate sport and health-based modules at the University of Birmingham from 2019 to 2020. He also taught sports psychology modules at Loughborough University for one year. After obtaining Qualified Teacher Status, he taught in secondary, further education, and higher education settings, with his interest in sports psychology sparked by delivering A-level courses in the subject.

Mansell's research specializations encompass psychological interventions to enhance performance under pressure, including stress mindset, stress appraisals, psychological wellbeing, and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. His work applies to athletes, students, and employees in occupational settings. Key publications include Mansell, P. C., Sparks, K., Wright, J., Roe, L., Carrington, S., Lock, J., & Slater, M. (2023). “Mindset: performing under pressure” – a multimodal cognitive-behavioural intervention to enhance the well-being and performance of young athletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/10413200.2023.2296900; Mansell, P. C., & Turner, M. J. (2023). The mediating role of proactive coping in the relationships between stress mindset, challenge appraisal tendencies, and psychological wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1140790; and Mansell, P. C. (2021). Stress mindset in athletes: Investigating the relationships between beliefs, challenge and threat with psychological wellbeing. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 57, 102020. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and contributes to public discourse through articles in The Conversation, such as 'The best athletes believe that stress is a good thing – and they embrace “winning ugly”' (2024), and hosts the Performing Under Pressure podcast at Staffordshire University.