L. Kimberly Epting, an assistant professor of psychology, has published a paper in the current issue of North American Journal of Psychology that was co-authored with an Elon alumna and two graduates of Hampden-Sydney College.
Elon psychology graduate Kristen Riggs ’10 and two Hampden-Sydney College alumni, Joseph Knowles and John J. Hanky, were co-authors on the article, “Cheers vs.jeers: Effects of audience feedback on individual athletic performance.” It presents a study that suggests audience behavior can affect performance of athletes, but the direct effect may be limited to jeers; cheers did not directly improve performance, but jeers hurt performance for baseball players and golfers.