Christopher Aiken

Christopher A. Aiken is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at New Mexico State University. He holds a PhD in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University, an MS from the University of Tennessee, and a BA in Psychology from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

His research investigates psychological influences on motor skill acquisition, particularly how attentional focus instructions, practice structures, and cognitive strategies affect learning and performance. Current work examines holistic attention approaches, bilateral skill transfer, and imagery interventions across various athletic populations.

Aiken maintains active research collaborations examining:

• Attentional focus effects across skill levels
• Contralateral motor transfer mechanisms
• Imagery protocols for strength training
• Self-controlled learning paradigms