Motor Behavior Research Laboratory
The MBRL supports multidisciplinary research, training, and education in the areas of exercise physiology, biomechanics, motor learning and control, sport pedagogy, and sport psychology.
Sport psychology clinical activities include behavioral assessment and psychological assessment and counseling. Both basic and applied research are conducted with emphasis on sport performance enhancement. The laboratory regularly participates in research involving elite athletes in a variety of sports. Studies involving strength, power, injury factors, spatial orientation, training monitoring, postural problems, jumping, landing, gymnastics skills, diving skills, and many others have been conducted. Studies involving USA Gymnastics, USA Diving, and USA Track and Field are regularly conducted.
The laboratory is equipped with a portable force platform, a kinematic analysis system using high-speed video, telemetered electromyography, acoustic myography, a Cybex II dynamometer, anthropometer, load cells, accelerometers, timing systems, and computers. The laboratory is particularly strong in computer applications for sport training and performance enhancement. Facilities also include computer processing and statistical reduction of experimental data.
Psychological assessment tools, including behavioral tests and psychological inventories, are also available.
Program Contact
- Barry B. Shultz, Ph.D., Director
122 Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (HPER) West Building
(801) 581-4440
barry.shultz@health.utah.edu