AREAS OF RESEARCH

Sexuality and Sexual Health

  • Allen, M. S., & Tostes, R. C. (2023). Cigarette smoking and erectile dysfunction: An updated review with a focus on pathophysiology, e-cigarettes, and smoking cessation. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 11(1), 61-73.
  • Judd, L. J., Mills, J. G., & Allen, M. S. (2022). Altruism does not predict mating success in humans: A direct replication. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences.
  • Leslie-Evans, M., Bartschi, J. G., & Allen, M. S. (2022). Dark personality traits and sociosexual dynamics in Australian men and women: Two direct replications of Borráz-León & Rantala (2021). Personality and Individual Differences, 196, Article 111753.
  • Allen, M. S., & Laborde, S. (2022). Parent personality traits and adolescent sexual behaviour: Cross-sectional findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Personality and Individual Differences, 195, Article 111682.
  • Beecken, W-D., Kersting, M., Kunert, W., Blume, G., Bacharidis, N., Cohen, D. S., Shabeeh, H., & Allen, M. S. (2021). Thinking about pathomechanisms and current treatment of erectile dysfunction – “The Stanley Beamish problem”. Review, recommendations, and proposals. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 9, 445-463.
  • Allen, M. S., & Robson, D. A. (2020). Personality and sexual orientation: New data and meta-analysis. The Journal of Sex Research, 57(8), 953-965.
  • Allen, M. S. (2019). The role of personality in sexual and reproductive health. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(6), 581-586.
  • Allen, M. S. (2019). Physical activity as an adjunct treatment for erectile dysfunction. Nature Reviews Urology, 16(9), 553-562.
  • Allen, M. S., & Walter, E. (2019). Erectile dysfunction: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of risk factors, treatment, and prevalence outcomes. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 16(4), 531-541.
  • Allen, M. S., & Robson, D. A. (2018). A 10-year prospective study of personality and reproductive success: Testing the mediating role of healthy living. Psychology & Health, 33(11), 1379-1395.
  • Allen, M. S., & Walter, E. E. (2018). Linking big five personality traits to sexuality and sexual health: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 144(10), 1081-1110.
  • Allen, M. S., & Walter, E. E. (2018). Health-related lifestyle factors and sexual dysfunction: A meta-analysis of population-based research. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 15(4), 458-475.
  • Allen, M. S. (2018). Sexual activity and cognitive decline in older adults. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47(6), 1711-1719.
  • Allen, M. S., & Walter, E. E. (2018). Personality stability and change between age 12 and 14 predicts relationships, sexual activity, and same-sex sexual attraction at age 14. Journal of Research in Personality, 74, 95-101.
  • Allen, M. S. (2017). Biomarkers of inflammation mediate an association between sexual activity and quality of life in older adulthood. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 14(5), 654-658.
  • Allen, M. S., & Desille, A. E. (2017). Health-related lifestyle factors and sexual functioning and behaviour in older adults. International Journal of Sexual Health, 29(3), 273-277.
  • Allen, M. S., & Desille, A. E. (2017). Personality and sexuality in older adults. Psychology & Health, 32(7), 843-859.

Personality Science

  • Robson, D. A., Allen, M. S., & Laborde, S. (2023). Parent personality traits and problem behaviour in adolescence: The mediating role of adolescent personality. Journal of Adolescence.
  • Schrödter, R., Laborde, S., & Allen, M. S. (2021). The dark core of personality and sexism in sport. Personality and Individual Differences, 183, Article 111119.
  • Allen, M. S., & Robson, D. A. (2020). Personality and body dissatisfaction: An updated systematic review with meta-analysis. Body Image, 33, 77-89.
  • Allen, M. S., & Laborde, S. (2020). A prospective study of personality and illicit drug use in Australian adults. Personality and Individual Differences, 163, Article 110048.
  • Allen, M. S., Robson, D. A., & Laborde, S. (2020). Normal variations in personality predict eating behavior, oral health, and partial syndrome bulimia nervosa in adolescent girls. Food Science & Nutrition, 8(3), 1423-1432.
  • Allen, M. S., Laborde, S., & Walter, E. E. (2019). Health-related behavior mediates the association between personality and memory performance in older adults. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 38(2), 232-252.
  • Allen, M. S., Vella, S. A., Swann, C., & Laborde, S. (2018). Personality and the subjective experience of body mass in Australian adults. Journal of Research in Personality, 72, 73-79.
  • Burnett, C. M., Allen, M. S., & Vella, S. A. (2018). Personality and sedentary behaviour in Australian adults. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 16(3), 215-220.
  • Laborde, S., Guillén, F., Watson, M., & Allen, M. S. (2017). The light quartet: Positive personality traits and approaches to coping in sport coaches. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 32, 67-73.
  • Allen, M. S., Magee, C. A., Vella, S. A., & Laborde, S. (2017). Bidirectional associations between personality and physical activity in adulthood. Health Psychology, 36(4), 332-336.
  • Allen, M. S., Walter, E. E., & McDermott, M. S. (2017). Personality and sedentary behavior: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 36(3), 255-263.
  • Allen, M. S., Walter, E. E., & McDermott, M. S. (2017). Personality and sedentary Behaviour: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology, 36(3), 255-263.
  • Allen, M. S., & Laborde, S. (2017). Five factor personality traits and inflammatory biomarkers in the English longitudinal study of aging. Personality and Individual Differences, 111, 205-210.
  • Allen, M. S., Magee, C. A., & Vella, S. A. (2016). Personality, hedonic balance, and the quality and quantity of sleep in adulthood. Psychology & Health, 31(9), 1091-1107.
  • Allen, M. S., & Walter, E. E. (2016). Personality and body image: A systematic review. Body Image, 19, 79-88.
  • Allen, M. S., Vella, S. A., & Laborde, S. (2015). Health-related behaviour and personality trait development in adulthood. Journal of Research in Personality, 59, 104-110.
  • Allen, M. S., Vella, S. A., & Laborde, S. (2015). Sport participation, screen time, and personality trait development during childhood. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 33(3), 375-390.

  • Allen, M. S., & Vella, S. A. (2016). Personality and body-mass-index in school-age children: An exploration of mediating and moderating variables. PLOS One, 11(8), e0158353.

Sport Psychology

  • Allen, M. S., Mison, E. A., Robson, D. A., & Laborde, S. (2021). Extraversion in sport: A scoping review. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 14(1), 229-259.
  • Allen, M. S., Robson, D. A., Vella, S. A., & Laborde, S. (2021). Extraversion development in childhood, adolescence and adulthood: Testing the role of sport participation in three nationally-representative samples. Journal of Sports Sciences, 39(19), 2258-2265.
  • Laborde, S., Allen, M. S., Katschak, K., Mattonet, K., & Lachner, N. (2020). Trait personality in sport and exercise psychology: A mapping review and research agenda. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 18(6), 701-716.
  • Allen, M. S., Robson, D. A., Martin, L. J., & Laborde, S. (2020). Systematic review and meta-analysis of self-serving attribution biases in the competitive context of organized sport. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(7), 1027-1043.
  • Hurley, D., Swann, C., Allen, M. S., & Vella, S. A. (2020). A qualitative evaluation of a mental health literacy intervention for parents delivered through community sport clubs. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 47, Article 101635.
  • Spindler, D., Allen, M. S., Vella, S. A., & Swann, C. (2019). Motivational-general arousal imagery does not improve decision-making performance in elite endurance cyclists. Cognition & Emotion, 33(5), 1084-1093.
  • Allen, M. S., Knipler, S. J., & Chan, A. Y. C. (2019). Happiness and counterfactual thinking at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(15), 1762-1769.
  • Hurley, D., Allen, M. S., Swann, C., Okely, A. D., & Vella, S. A. (2018). The development, pilot, and process evaluation of a parent mental health literacy intervention through community sports clubs. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 27, 2149-2160.
  • Allen, M. S., McRae, K., & Walter, E. E. (2019). Anti-doping rule violations in sport: The attractive leniency effect and attributions of guilt and punishment. Body Image, 28, 76-80.
  • Spindler, D., Allen, M. S., Vella, S. A., & Swann, C. (2018). The psychology of elite cycling: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36(17), 1943-1954.
  • Turner, M. J., & Allen, M. S. (2018). Confirmatory factor analysis of the irrational performance beliefs inventory in a sample of amateur and semi-professional athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 35, 126-130.
  • Spindler, D., Allen, M. S., Vella, S. A., & Swann, C. (2017). Manipulating implicit beliefs about decision making ability affects decision making performance under sub-maximal physiological load. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 6(2), 179-187.
  • Swann, C., Crust, L., Jackman, P., Vella, S. A., Allen, M. S., & Keegan, R. (2017). Performing under pressure: Exploring the psychological state underlying clutch performance in sport. Journal of Sports Sciences, 35(23), 2272-2280.

Health Psychology

  • Robson, D. A., Allen, M. S., & Howard, S. J. (2020). Self-regulation in childhood as a predictor of future outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 146(4), 324-354.
  • Swann, C., Hooper, A., Schweickle, M. J., Peoples, G., Mullan, J., Hutto, D., Allen, M. S., & Vella S. A. (2020). Comparing the effects of goal types in a walking session with healthy adults: Preliminary evidence for open goals in physical activity. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 47, Article 101475.
  • Hurley, D., Swann, C., Allen, M. S., Ferguson, H., & Vella, S. A. (2020). A systematic review of parent and caregiver mental health literacy. Community Mental Health Journal, 56(1), 2-21.
  • Allen, M. S., Walter, E. E., & Swann, C. (2019). Sedentary behaviour and risk of anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 242, 5-13.
  • Vella, S. A., Gardner, L., Swann, C., & Allen, M. S. (2019). Trajectories and predictors of risk for mental health problems throughout childhood. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 24(2), 142-148.
  • Turner, M. J., Allen, M. S., Slater, M. J., Barker, J. B., Woodcock, C., Harwood, C. G., & McFadyen, K. (2018). The development and initial validation of the Irrational Performance Beliefs Inventory (iPBI). European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 34(3), 174-180.
  • Allen, M. S., & Celestino, S. (2018). Body image mediates an association between personality and mental health. Australian Journal of Psychology, 70, 179-185.
  • Allen, M. S. (2018). Change in adolescent mental health between age 12 and 14 predicts sexual activity and sexual orientation at age 14. Mental Health & Prevention, 10, 9-12.
  • Coffee, P., Freeman, P., & Allen, M. S. (2017). The TASS-Q: The team-referent availability of social support questionnaire. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 33, 55-65.
  • Vella, S. A., Swann, C., Allen, M. S., Schweickle, M., & Magee, C. A. (2017). Bidirectional associations between sport involvement and mental health in adolescence. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 49(4), 687-694.
  • Allen, M. S., El-Cheikh, S., & Turner, M. J. (2017). A longitudinal investigation of irrational beliefs, hedonic balance and academic achievement. Learning and Individual Differences, 58, 41-45.
  • Rowan, A. A., McDermott, M. S., & Allen, M. S. (2017). Intention stability assessed using residual change scores moderates the intention-behaviour association: A prospective cohort study. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 22(10), 1256-1261.
  • Laborde, S., Allen, M. S., Göhring, N., & Dosseville, F. (2017). The effect of slow paced breathing on stress management in adolescents with intellectually disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 61(6), 560-567.
  • Hurley, D., Swann, C., Allen, M. S., Okely, A. D., & Vella, S. A. (2017). The role of community sports clubs in adolescent mental health: The perspectives of adolescent males’ parents. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, & Health, 9(3), 372-388.

Frequently Asked Questions

Health psychology is concerned with understanding psychological influences on how people stay healthy, why they become ill and how they respond when they do get ill. Typical questions a health psychologist might ask is: Why do people not take part in regular physical activity when they are aware of the health benefits? Why do some people not seek medical care when they become sick? And how do people react to a serious diagnosis?

Psychology is the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. In sport psychology, the principles of psychology are researched and applied in athletic settings, whereas in exercise psychology, the principles of psychology are researched and applied in physical activity (non-performance) settings.  Sport psychologists look to apply psychological techniques to enhance the performance of athletes, whereas exercise psychologists are concerned with the effects of physical activity on psychological development, health, and well-being (not performance) in the general population.

For an electronic copy of any article please send me an email.

I am a chartered member and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society and have previously worked as a sport psychologist.  I have developed evidence-based psychological support programs for men and women competing in athletics, association football, rugby union, canoe slalom, netball, cricket, golf and rally car driving.  These consultations often focus on performance improvement (e.g., psychological skills training for self-confidence) but also personal issues such as injury recurrence anxiety, sleeping difficulties, interpersonal relationships, and mental health and well-being.  I am available for consultations as a sport psychologist and interested clients should email me for rates and availability.

I am available to supervise higher degree research students at PhD level in any of the research areas outlined above. Interested students should email me directly to discuss possible research projects.