Sport & Exercise Psychology Lab
Enhancing performance through cognitive and behavior skills training.
TCU’s Sport & Exercise Psychology Lab aims to investigate psychological factors related to participation and performance in sports, exercise and achievement-driven activities, emphasizing the integration of scientific and practical knowledge.
Students within the lab explore ways to improve human performance and assess the psychophysiological aspects of technology’s impact on physical activity. They are also involved in various applied sport psychology research endeavors.
Location
TCU Rickel Academic Wing
Room 257
Lab Members
Trocchio is the director of the sport and exercise psychology lab. By actively involving students in her research ventures, she provides them with a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience and develop their skills. With her guidance and mentorship, students are able to flourish and achieve their full potential.
Trocchio is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) and approved mentor through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). She provides mental performance training for athletes and exercisers of all ages.
Trocchio holds a doctorate in educational psychology with a focus on sport and exercise psychology from Florida State University. She also earned an master's in sport and exercise psychology from Barry University and a bachelor's in psychology from the University of Florida.
Second-year master's student with a Bachelor of Science in Movement Science with a
minor in Psychology from TCU, Rebekah’s thesis investigates the effects of a four-week
digital mindfulness intervention on a rowing task, specifically, the enjoyment of
exercise and attentional allocation. Her goals are to obtain a doctorate degree to
become a faculty member and become a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC). 
Second-year Ph.D. student in Health Sciences with an emphasis in sport and exercise
psychology focuses her research on uncovering strategies to inspire individuals to
adopt physical activity and exploring the identity development of athletes, especially
those transitioning out of sports. Sarah’s goal is to become a faculty member at a
university and become a CMPC.
First-year master’s student in the sport and exercise psychology lab focusing on understanding
the relationship first-year college students have between exercise and mental health
after retiring from competitive sports. Caroline’s goal is to get a doctorate in clinical
psychology and become a sport psychologist.
First-year Ph.D. student in the Health Sciences program with an emphasis in sport
and exercise psychology whose research interests lie in how to best aid Esports athletes
and video game players to increase their physical activity habits and better their
proficiency in their video game performance. Her goal is to become a faculty member
at a university.Lab Equipment
The Sport & Exercise Psychology Lab utilizes state-of-the-art equipment including:
- Aviron Interactive Rower
- Meta Quest 2 (virtual reality headsets)
- Thought Technology Biofeedback Peak Performance System
- Wearable Fitness Devices
- Laptops with Docking Stations
Current Projects
- How to make exercise more enjoyable utilizing virtual reality, exergaming, mindfulness and music
- High school athletes’ transition out of sport
- Physical activity behaviors in adult video game players