Professor Moira Lafferty | University of Chester

Head of School of Society

Professor Moira Lafferty is Head of the School of Society in the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Society and within this role she works with the Dean and Associate Deans to lead and deliver on the Faculty and University strategic plans and to manage and support developments within the Divisions of Psychology and Social Work in line with the University strategy. She is a chartered psychologist and associate fellow of the British Psychology Society and a HCPC registered sport and exercise psychologist. She has taught, researched, and supervised in the area of sport and exercise psychology for over 25 years.

Professor Lafferty continues to lecture on undergraduate and postgraduate courses within the Division of Psychology teaching in the areas of sport and exercise psychology, research methods and project planning. She has previously led and development numerous MSc programs in sport, applied and behavioural psychology and particularly enjoys teaching research methods applicable to real world psychological problems.

As a Professor of Applied Sport Psychology, Professor Lafferty’s research focuses on three broad areas: team performance including team formation and initiation activity. Applied sport psychology and young performers including safeguarding and the training and development of practitioner psychologists. She is the lead researcher and developer of the CHANGES-Intervention programme (Challenging Hazing and Negative Group Events in Sport) and has recently signed collaborative partnership agreements with both British Universities and Colleges Sport and Scottish Student Sport to further the integration of CHANGES into student sport. In collaboration with Professor Caroline Wakefield from Liverpool Hope University she is examining student sport initiations from both a social and health psychology perspective and with colleagues from across the UK she is exploring trainee sport psychologists’ journey, supervision, and neophyte practitioner development. She has published and presented widely in these areas as well as acting as an expert advisor based on her research and has a successful track record of PhD completion and grant capture.

Recent Publications

Tod, David, Kate Slade, and Moira Lafferty. "The sport and exercise psychology practitioner’s contribution to service delivery outcomes." International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology (2024): 1-18. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2024.2351444

Tod, D., McEwan, H. E., Cronin, C., & Lafferty, M. (2023). Client-led applied sport psychology practitioners’ narratives about helping athletes. The Sport Psychologist, 1(aop), 1-10. https://dx.doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2023-0070

Lafferty, Moira E., and David Tod. "Life-Long Learning: Life beyond the Training." Developing a Sport Psychology Consultancy Practice. Routledge, 2022. 193-209. https://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003196280-16

Eubank, M., Lafferty, M. E., & Breslin, G. (2022). The British Psychological Society Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology (Stage 2). In Developing a Sport Psychology Consultancy Practice (pp. 5-18). Routledge. https://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003196280-2

Tod, D., Pullinger, S., & Lafferty, M. (2022). A systematic review of the qualitative research examining stakeholders’ perceptions of the characteristics of helpful sport and exercise psychology practitioners. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2022.2145575

Lafferty, M.E., & Roberts, E. (2022). From Physical to Virtual: Reflections on the move from the lecture hall to the cyber room (p.199-211). In D. Forbes & R. Walker (Eds). ‘Developing Online Teaching in Higher Education. Global Perspectives on Continuing Professional Learning and Development. Springer. http://hdl.handle.net/10034/627158 ISBN: 978-981-19-5587-7

Eubank, M., Lafferty, M.E., & Breslin, G. (2022). The British Psychological Society Qualifications in Sport and Exercise Psychology Stage 2 (Chapter 1). In V. Shanmuganathan-Felton & S Smith (Eds), Developing a Sport Psychology Consultancy: A Toolkit for Students and Trainees. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003196280

Lafferty, M.E., & Tod, D. (2022). Life-long learning: life beyond the training (Chapter 13). In V. Shanmuganathan-Felton & S Smith (Eds), Developing a Sport Psychology Consultancy: A Toolkit for Students and Trainees. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003196280

Tod, D., Pullinger, S., & Lafferty, M.E. (in press). A Systematic Review of the Qualitative Research Examining the Characteristics of Helpful Sport and Exercise Psychology Practitioners. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. (Accepted)

Lafferty, M.E., Coyle, M., Prince, H.R., & Szabadics, A. (2022). “It’s not just a man’s world” – Helping female sport psychologists to thrive not just survive. Lessons for supervisors, trainees, practitioners and mentors. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 17(2) 6-18. http://hdl.handle.net/10034/627002

Oakley, L., Lafferty, M. & McFarlane, L. (2022).‘The fruit of consultation’: Findings from an online survey on co-production as a solution to the challenges of safeguarding children and young people in International Christian work. Child Abuse Review, 31(5), e2767. https://doi.org/10.1002/car.2767 / https://doi.org/10.1002/car.276

Morris, R., Pattinson, E. M., Lafferty, M., Brown, D., Emeka, L., Williams, J., Byrne, L., Shanmuganathan-Felton, V., & Kiemle-Gabbay, L. R. (2022). Understanding Inequality: The Experiences and Perceptions of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion of those Working or Studying within Sport and Exercise Psychology. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 17(1), 4-15. http://hdl.handle.net/10034/626705

Lafferty, M.E. (2021). The views of the few or the voices of many: Methods of exploring leadership roles through alternative approaches within Higher Education. In D. Mifsud (Ed). Narratives of Educational Leadership: Representing Research via Creative Analytic Practices. Springer (pp. 179–198). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5831-0 http://hdl.handle.net/10034/625959

Wadsworth, N., McEwan, H., Lafferty, M.E., Eubank, M., & Tod, D. (2021). A Systematic Review Exploring the Reflective Accounts of Applied Sport Psychology Practitioners. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2021.1975304 http://hdl.handle.net/10034/625766

Tod, D., Eubank, M., McEwan, H., Chandler, C., & Lafferty, M.E. (2021). Supervision: Research Questions to Move the Field Forward. Chapter 25 in In E. Filho & I. Basevitch (Eds), Sport, Exercise and Performance Psychology: Research Directions To Advance the Field. Oxford University Press; USA. http://hdl.handle.net/10034/623588

Wadsworth, N., McEwan, H., Lafferty, M.E. Eubank, M., Tod, D. (2021). Stories of Critical Moments Contributing to the Development of Applied Sport Psychology Practitioners. The Sport Psychologist. Advance online publication https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2020-0085. http://hdl.handle.net/10034/623826

Moira completed both her MSc. and doctoral research at Liverpool John Moores University. Her PhD programme of study examined the effects of active therapy for children with Down’s syndrome and was awarded in 1998.

In 2001 Moira completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.