Sean Locke, PhD

Assistant Professor, Kinesiology

Sean Locke

Office: WC 281A
905 688 5550 x4958
slocke@brocku.ca

Sean is a health behaviour change scientist who focuses on developing interventions to modify health-related cognitions and behaviours to help individuals rehabilitate back to a healthier functional status.

Sean has conducted behavioural research for individuals with a variety of chronic conditions: multiple sclerosis, cardiac rehabilitation, and prediabetes. In an attempt to optimize these types interventions, his research seeks to understand how and why some individuals engage in health behaviours as part of their rehabilitation, while others struggle to adhere.  

Sean runs the REFRAME lab (REFraming Rehabilitation Adherence, Motivation and Exercise lab) and is currently accepting graduate and undergraduate students for supervision.  

Research Interests

  • Rehabilitation adherence and psychology  
  • Health and exercise behaviour change 
  • Developing strategies to challenge biased beliefs about health and exercise 

Publications

Selected rehabilitation and community research publications  

  1. Locke, S. R., Dix, G., Te Hiwi, B., Oelke, N., Rush, K., Berg, S., Dinwoodie, M., Jung, M. E., Martin Ginis, K. (In press). Improving diabetes care in the B.C. Southern Interior: Development of a community-engaged research agenda. Submitted to the Canadian Journal of Diabetes.  
  2. Locke, S. R., McMahon, C. J., & Brawley, L. R. (In press). Self-regulatory efficacy for exercise in cardiac rehabilitation: Review and recommendations. Rehabilitation psychology. 
  3. Jung, M.E., Locke, S.R., Bourne, J.E., Beauchamp, M.R., Lee, T., Singer, J., MacPherson, M., Jones, C., Little, J.P. (In press). Cardiorespiratory fitness and accelerometer-determined physical activity following one year of free-living high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training: A randomized behaviour change intervention trial. The International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity. 
  4. Sessford, J.D., Locke, S.R., Cary, M.A., Flora, P.K., Knox, K, & Brawley, L.R. (In press). Group Counseling Plus Tailored Exercise for Multiple Sclerosis May Improve Mobility Function. International Journal of MS Care 
  5. MacPherson, M., Merry, K., Locke, S. R., Jung, M. E. (2019). Effects of Mobile Health Prompts on Self-Monitoring and Exercise Behaviors Following a Diabetes Prevention Program: Secondary Analysis From a Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 7(9), 1-24.  
  6. Locke, S. R., Bourne, J., Beauchamp, M. R., Little, J. P., Barry, J., Singer, J. & Jung, M. E. (2018). High-intensity interval or continuous-moderate exercise: A 24-week pilot trial. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, 50(10):2067-2075.  
  7. Flora, P. K., McMahon, C. J., Locke, S. R., & Brawley, L. R. (2018). Relying too much on cardiac rehabilitation staff: A dilemma for future adherence. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being  
  8. Brawley, L. R., Flora, P. K., Locke, S. R., & Gierc, M. S. (2016). Social influence in promoting change among older adults: Group-mediated cognitive behavioral interventions. Kinesiology Reviews,5, 39-49. 

Selected cognitive error and reframing research publications 

  1. Locke, S. R., McKay, R., & Jung, M. E. (2019). “I’m just too busy to exercise”: Reframing the negative thoughts associated with exercise-related cognitive errors. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 43, 279-287. 
  2. Locke, S. L., & Brawley, L. R. (2018).  Making one-sided exercise decisions: The influence of exercise-related cognitive errors. Journal of Health Psychology, 23(9) 1240-1249.  
  3. Locke, S. R., & Brawley, L. R. (2017). Perceptions of exercise consistency: Relation to exercise-related cognitive errors and cognitions. Journal of health psychology, 22(5), 684-694. 
  4. Locke, S. R. & Brawley, L. R. (2016). Development and initial validity of the Exercise-Related Cognitive Errors Questionnaire. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 23, 82-89. doi:         http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2015.11.003 

Teaching

  • Psychology of Health Behaviours 
  • Lifestyle Counselling for Kinesiologists