Research

I conduct research in sport psychology and clinical psychology including examining inner experience during sport performance, mental skills training for sport performance, eating disorders, and university student mental health . 

Descriptive Experience Sampling

I conducted the first sport psychology study using descriptive experience sampling with Russell Hurlburt, Ph.D., a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who created Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES). DES is more fully described by Dr. Hurlburt here and with selected DES papers. This DES sport psychology research study is briefly described below and is in preparation for publication. Dr. Dickens presented results from this study with respect to self-talk during sport performance at the 14th European Congress of Sport Psychology Organizers in Bern, Switzerland in 2015. This study was recently accepted for publication in The Sport Psychologist  with Judy Van Raalte, Ph.D. and Dr. Hurlburt as co-authors. 

Inner Experience During Sport Performance

Sport performance is widely believed to depend on internal processes that occur during performance. Studies examining these processes have strongly relied on retrospective self-reports obtained long after performance, a method limited by athletes’ recall of internal processes. This study circumvented these problems by obtaining contemporaneous reports of inner experience during golf performance using Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES). DES uses a device that emits a random beep via an earpiece. Participants record momentary inner experience immediately after the beep. Participants are interviewed about these experiences within 24 hours. Five highly-skilled and five moderately-skilled golfers competed in an experimental tournament. Inner experience during golf consisted of golf-related content, mental preparation strategies, perceptual awareness, and inner speaking most prominently. Unsymbolized thinking, sensory awareness, feeling, and speaking aloud were also present. Inner experience during golf was also found to be individually different. Golf-related content and mental preparation strategies appeared to be positively related to quality of golf performance. Inner speaking appeared to be negatively related to quality of golf performance.

Publications

Dickens, Y. L., Van Raalte, J., & Hurlburt, R. T. (2018). On investigating self-talk: A descriptive experience sampling study of inner experience during golf performance. The Sport Psychologist, 32(1), 66-73.

Dickens, Y. L., Haynos, A. F., Nunnemaker, S., Platka-Bird, L., & Dolores, J. (2014). Multidisciplinary Residential Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus & Co-Occurring Eating Disorders. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 00:1–10.

Donohue, B., Dickens, Y., & Del Vecchio, P. (2011). Cognitive Assessment in Behavioral Sport Psychology. In J. Luiselli, & D. Reed (Eds.), Behavioral Sport Psychology: Evidence-Based Approaches to Performance Enhancement. Springer.

Donohue, B., Silver, N., Dickens, Y., Covassin, T., & Lancer, K. (2007). Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Sport Interference Checklist (SIC). Behavior Modification, 31(6), 937-957.

Donohue, B., Dickens, Y. Lancer, K., Covassin, T., Hash, A., Miller, A., & Genet, J. (2004). Improving athletes’ perspectives of sport psychology consultation: A controlled evaluation of two interview methods. Behavior Modification, 29, 181-193.

Donohue, B., Covassin, T., Lancer, K., Dickens, Y., Miller, A., Hash, A., & Genet, J. (2004). Examination of psychiatric symptoms in student athletes. Journal of General Psychology, 163, 29-35.

Professional Presentations

Van Raalte, J. L., Vincent, A. Brewer, B. W., Latinjak, A. T., Zourbanos, N., Kalymniou, A., Bhavsar, N., Apostolou, L., Theodorakis, Y., Hatzigeorgiadis, A. Dickens, Y., Hardy, J., Roberts, R., Collins, R., Tod, D., & Oliver, E. (2015, July). Self-Talk in Sport Performance, symposium at the 14th European Congress of Sport Psychology Organizers in Bern, Switzerland.

Dickens, Y. L. (2015, May). Psychological Interventions that Facilitate Physical Activity: How to Overcome Barriers with an Understanding of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Presentation accepted by American Association of Service Coordinators: Effective Health & Wellness Programs for Older Adults in Reno, NV.

Dickens, Y. & Hurlburt, R. (2014, October). Inner Experience and Golf Performance. Poster presented at Association for Applied Sport Psychology Conference in Las Vegas, NV.

Dickens, Y., Haynos, A., Nunnemaker, S., & Platka-Bird, L. (2013, March). Residential Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus & Eating Disorders. Poster presented at 11th London International Eating Disorders Conference.

Dickens, Y., Platka-Bird, L., & Nunnemaker, S. N. (2012, August). Residential Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus & Eating Disorders. Poster presented at American Association of Diabetes Educators Conference.

Silver, N. Zaikina, H., Dickens, Y., Caron, J., Stevens, R., Van Thomma, R.A., & St. Martin, A. (2007, April). Sex and Ethnicity Differences on the Sport Fan Motivation Scale. Poster presented at Rocky Mountain Psychological Association, Denver, CO.

Silver, N. Zaikina-Montgomery, H., Dickens, Y., Stevens, R., & Van Thomma, R.A. (2007, April). Development of the Sports Fanaticism Questionnaire. Poster presented at Southwestern Psychological Association Conference, Fort Worth, TX.

Dickens, Y. (2006, November). Inner Experience and Golf Performance. Poster presented at the Utah Universities & College Counseling Centers Conference, Park City, UT.

Jones-Forrester, S., Dickens, Y., & Lefforge, N. (2006, April). Applications. In R. T. Hurlburt (chair), Exploring Inner Experience: The Descriptive Experience Sampling Method, Symposium conducted at the meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Palm Springs, CA.

(Evans) Dickens, J. & Dickens, Y. (2005, September). Exploring criminogenic needs for inmates with dual diagnoses: On what should treatment focus? Poster presented at the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors – Forensic Division, Lake Tahoe, NV.

Evans, J., Skeem, J. L., Dickens, Y., Adams-Shrewsbury, D., & Drake, A. (2005, March). Criminogenic needs and treatment considerations for inmates with dual diagnoses. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychology – Law Society, La Jolla, CA.

Lancer, K., Dickens, Y., & Evans, J. (2003, May). A controlled evaluation of a comprehensive mental skills program for NCAA and Youth Club Swimmers. Poster presented at the 84^th annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Dickens, Y. (2003, April). Evaluation of Mental Preparation Strategies for the 200 Meter Run. Paper presented at the Psychology Department’s Annual Research Festival, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Dickens, Y., Hash, A., Lancer, K., Donohue, B., Genet, J. (2001, May). Controlled evaluation of two methods to enhance athletes’ perspectives of sports psychology. Poster presented at the 81^st annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Maui, Hawaii.

Lancer, K., Dickens, Hash, A., Donohue, B., Genet, J., Preston, B., and Volkov, L. (2001, May). The relative effect of dysfunctional thoughts to athletic training and competition. Poster presented at the 81^st annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Maui, Hawaii.

Forest, S., Donohue, B., Hash, A., Lancer, K., Dickens, Y., & Allen, J. (2001, May). An Empirically-Derived Performance Enhancement Program Specific for Cross Country Runners. Poster presented at the 81^st annual meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Maui, Hawaii.