Dr. Jennifer Hurst

Office: 327 Pershing Building
Office telephone: (660) 785-4464
Fax number: (660) 785-7492
E-mail: jhurst@truman.edu

Dr. Hurst has been a member of the Health and Exercise Science faculty at Truman State University since 2005. She is currently an assistant professor in the Exercise Science area and also serves as the Clinical Coordinator of the Athletic Training Education Program. Dr. Hurst teaches the following courses:

    AT 120 Introduction to Athletic Training
    ES 205 First Aid & CPR - Professional Rescuer
    ES 502 Social Problems in Sport
    ES 503 Exercise and Sport Psychology

Dr. Hurst’s Education:

Ph.D. in Sport & Exercise Psychology from West Virginia University
M.S. in Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Chicago
B.A. in Athletic Training, Carthage College

View Dr. Hurst's Curriculum Vita

Previous Professional Experience:

Graduate Research Assistant in Rehabilitation Counseling, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia (September 2002 - August 2005)
Teaching Practicum, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia (August 2004 - December 2004)
Volunteer Teaching Assistant, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia (January 2004 - May 2004)
Lecturer in Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (August 2000 - August 2002)
Senior Graduate Research Assistant, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (August 1998 - August 2000)

Reviewed Publications:

Hurst, J., Heiserman, L., & Lawson, T. (In Review). Self-efficacy, social support and exercise state of change as predictors of self-reported physical activity of undergraduate student. Journal of American College Health

Visek, A., Hurst, J., Maxwell, J., & Watson, J. (In Review). A cross-cultural psychometric evaluation of the athletic identity measurement scale. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology.

Hurst, J. (In Review). Does physical disability create impairment in adjustment to college life? Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability.

Zakrajsek, R., Abildso, C., Hurst, J., & Watson, J. (In press). The relationships among coaches’ and athletes’ perceptions of coaching staff cohesion, team cohesion, and performance, Athletic Insight, in press.

Watson, J., Clement, D., Harris, B., Leffingwell, T., & Hurst, J. (2006). Teacher-practitioner multiple role issues in sport psychology. Ethics and Behavior, 16, 41-59.

Bylina, M., Hu, T., Conway, T., Perrin, J., Eldridge-Houser, J., Hurst, J., & Cox, C. (2006). Comparison of exercise attitudes and behaviors of urban older adults with AAPR’s national sample results. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 14, 41-58

Research Interests With Active Projects:

Health/Behavior Psychology

- Effectiveness of a Behavior Intervention Program on Adoption of Physical Activity

Back in the summer of 2005, myself and my colleague, Dr. Amanda Visek, created a cognitive behavioral intervention program to psychological skills useful in making behavioral changes as part of a newly developing program at West Virginia University. We took our original work at West Virginia and have continued to grow and develop the content and materials within the intervention. Currently, this intervention program is the basis for both the TruFit Program and Move It, Lose It programs. We currently are collecting pre and post intervention data with each group that we run to evaluate the intervention program.

- Influence of Life Priorities in the Intention Behavior Gap for Physical Activity

We are currently collecting data for this project through the end of the year. I am doing this research project in conjunction with Molly Vetter-Smith., a doctoral student at University of Missouri at Columbia, and one of my students Morgan Clennin. Data is being collected through an online survey system. If you would like to participate, click on the link below:

http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=670358

Coping in Sport

Validation of the Coping Inventory for Competitive Sport – Trait Version

We are validating a revised version of the Coping Inventory for Competitive Sport that focuses on general coping strategies athletes enact during potentially stressful competitive events.

Relationship Between Coping Style and Trait Anxiety

We are exploring the relationship between an athletes’ coping style and their levels of trait anxiety. In addition, what types of coping style is most predictive of cognitive and somatic anxiety.

Aggression in Sport

I am currently serving as a secondary investigator on a project with two other colleagues exploring the relationship between athletic identity and aggressive behavior in male contact and collision athletes. We are doing a cross-cultural comparison between American and Hong Kong Chinese athletes. In addition, I am assisting one of my colleagues in the development of a new theoretical model of aggression in sport.

Disability and Sport

I have been involved in several research and presentations related to disability, sport, and physical activity. My dissertation work focused on the influence of disability and participation in sport on the adjustment to college life. My research in this area focuses on both the influence of sport participation for persons with physical disabilities on several aspects of life.

Other Areas of Research Interest:

Social support’s role in health and coping with stress
The stress injury/health relationship
Psychology of injury and rehabilitation

Current Intervention Programs:

* TruFit Faculty/Staff Wellness Program *

Started in the Fall of 2006, TruFit is one of the faculty/staff wellness opportunities available on our campus. This 12-week program is designed to assist those individuals who are currently inactive or “under-active” and wish to make some changes in their health behaviors. The program has both a behavioral/education session and a group exercise session each week. Participants are given opportunities to develop skills that promote lifetime behavior changes and not just quick fix results. Both physical activity and nutritional issues are addressed within the program.