Mathilde Kristensen joined Te Kura Tapuhi from Southern Denmark University as a visiting scholar in 2025, participating in numerous school activities including presenting at our regular Research Café. During her time with us, Mathilde completed her first PhD publication, which has now been published in the journal Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. The publication, titled “Beyond the ordinary: Exploring adolescents’ experiences of novelty in organized nature sports from a self-determination theory perspective.” explored how adolescents experience and respond to novelty in organized nature sports. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, the study found that novel experiences can spark initial engagement and sustain enjoyment and interest. At the same time, novelty can lead to insecurity or anxiety if basic psychological needs for competence, relatedness, and autonomy are not met. The study highlights the importance of novelty experiences in fostering interest and participation in organised nature sports among adolescents, offering both theoretical insights into motivational processes and practical implications for program design.
Contact Professor Melody Smith – melody.smith@auckland.ac.nz for more information.
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