prof. dr. J.R. (Ruud) den Hartigh

I did my studies in Psychology (University of Groningen) and Human Movement Science (VU University Amsterdam), which I combined with the European Masters in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Having finished my masters,  I worked as a PhD-candidate at the University of Groningen, department of Psychology, and the Faculty of Sport and Physical Education Science, University of Montpellier (joint degree). I finished my PhD on Capturing complex processes of human performance: Insights from the domain of sports with a cum laude distinction in 2015. In March 2015, I started as Assistant Professor Talent Development and Creativity (tenure track) at the Department of Psychology, University of Groningen. Here, I am the coordinator of the international MSc. program Talent Development and Creativity and chair of the Centre of Expertise for Talent Development. In September 2023, I was promoted to Professor (adjunct) within the tenure track.

I am an accredited sport psychology researcher and teacher. My main interest lies in human performance in sports and other achievement domains, such as the army. Ever since I was a graduate student, I have been particularly fascinated by the dynamics of human performance. For instance, when do athletes enter a positive or negative momentum, those periods that everything seem to go well or that things go from bad to worse? What is resilience, and how can we understand and improve the way in which people respond to setbacks? How does excellent (professional) performance develop, and to what extend can we predict which individuals will be successful in the future? In order to answer such questions, I employ a multidisciplinary approach, and use novel methodologies that can account for the complex dynamics in human performance. For instance, I have employed various nonlinear analyses from the complex systems approach, and collaborate with data scientists to find patterns in performance and psychological data of athletes and operators (i.e., commandos).

In the past few years my colleagues and I have published various studies in top-tier psychology- and sport science journals on key topics, such as: The development of talent; the selection of athletes; the dynamics of momentum; and resilience. On these topics I have received funding from different governmental- and sport organizations (see Projects).