Whitney Moore

Whitney Moore serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology within the College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University. Previously, she held faculty positions as an Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas and an Associate Professor at Wayne State University. Her academic journey began with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology from West Virginia University, followed by an M.S. in Health & Exercise Science from Colorado State University, and culminated in a Ph.D. in Psychology of Health & Physical Activity from the University of Kansas.

• Member of Association for Applied Sport Psychology (2008-present)
• Member of European Congress of Sport Psychology (2023)
• Member of National Strength & Conditioning Association (2000-present)
• Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist with Distinction

Dr. Moore's research centers on sport psychology with particular emphasis on motivational climates in physical activity settings, applying John Nicholls' Achievement Goal Perspective Theory. Her work explores the psychological and physiological aspects of athletic performance, with recent focus on college athlete mental health, body image issues, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports. She has developed specialized assessment tools including the Ownership in Exercise and Empowerment in Exercise Scales, and has expanded her methodological expertise to include advanced quantitative techniques such as mixture modeling (LCA, LPA, LTA, GMM).

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong interdisciplinary focus bridging sport psychology, clinical psychology, and quantitative methodology. Her research portfolio demonstrates particular attention to vulnerable populations including international student-athletes, female athletes, and athletes from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The pandemic period significantly shaped her recent work, with numerous studies examining mental health impacts on collegiate athletes.

• AASP Fellow (2025)
• Best Paper Award from Academy of Management (2022)
• Outstanding Reviewers of the Year (2022)
• Faculty Service Award from WSU College of Education (2020)
• Division E Distinguished Research Article Award from AERA (2019)

Dr. Moore maintains an active research program with multiple funded projects including the ECU Site: Best Food Forward project awarded by California State University San Marcos, and research on motivational climate conditions for Army cadet shooters funded by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. She serves as a reviewer for numerous prestigious journals including the International Journal of Behavioral Development, Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, and Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology. Her collaborative work spans physical education, nutrition science, positive youth development, and other health-related fields.