About

Jonathan Connor joined JCU in 2018 as a Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Science. Having completed his undergraduate degree with James Cook University, Jonathan also completed his Honours by examining anticipatory decision-making and eye-tracking in elite Rugby League players in 2013. Jonathan went on to work for Cricket Australia as a part of his PhD exploring the measurement and development of cricket batting expertise utilising a representative learning design approach. Previously, Jonathan has held collaborative arrangements with Cricket Australia, Queensland Cricket, and the North Queensland Cowboys.

His areas of research interests include skill acquisition, talent identification and development, and performance psychology. Currently conducting research exploring how manipulating individual constraints can impact motor control and decision-making skills within representative performance environments.

Teaching
  • PY2111: Learning Processes, Behaviour and Performance (Level 2; SIN)
  • PY4115: Psychology: Now and the Future (Level 4; TSV)
  • SP1001: Science and Practice of Sport and Exercise (Level 1; TSV)
Research Disciplines
Socio-Economic Objectives
Publications

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles
Book Chapters
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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 42+ research outputs authored by Dr Jonathan Connor from 2013 onwards.

Current Funding

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Cowboys Rugby League Football Limited - Contract Research

The identification and development of regional female rugby league players within an elite talent pathway.

Indicative Funding
$40,000 over 3 years
Summary
With the successful emergence of the National Rugby League Women?s (NRLW) elite competition comes a necessity to better understand and prepare young women for the physical requirements needed to achieve this highest level of competition. This project will provide support to a PhD Candidate to undertake research focussing on the pathways available for young girls to progress through the elite rugby league pathway: from local and state-based competitions through to the NRLW. With a focus on the talent development environment and practices, the Candidate will conduct research whilst embedded alongside professional coaches within an elite sporting pathway.
Investigators
Wade Sinclair, Jonathan Connor, Kenji Doma and Fiona Barnett in collaboration with Larissa Di Bella (College of Healthcare Sciences)
Keywords
Talent Development; Rugby League; Athletes; Team Sports; Talent Identification; Women in Sport

Bionics Queensland Ltd - Bionic Queensland Challenge

Combat apathy in traumatic brain injury patients

Indicative Funding
$25,000 over 2 years
Summary
Clinicians often mention apathy as the cause for decreased treatment progression for Traumatic Brain Injury patients. TBI patients with apathy symptoms are less motivated to engage continuously in their therapy schedule. Constant monitoring of patient engagement can help clinicians better measure patient progress and personalise the treatment accordingly. However, current clinical measurements of apathy cannot provide clinicians with continuous feedback. This project offers a novel continuous comprehensive measure of apathy feedback to assist clinicians with assessing and improving patient recovery. This apathy measure will combine traditional clinical measures of apathy with neurophysiological data collected from a virtual reality exoskeleton device.
Investigators
Shou-Han Zhou, Liza van Eijk, Sara Brice, Jonathan Connor, Kenji Doma, Shareef Omer and Blair Hunt (College of Healthcare Sciences, College of Science & Engineering, Townsville University Hospital and Smart Solutions Rehab Group)
Keywords
Apathy; Virtual Reality; Exoskeleton; Traumatic Brain Injury

Australian Government Department of Defence Science and Technology - Land Division

Optimising concurrent cognitive and physical Training in military personnel (OptiTrain)

Indicative Funding
$248,573 over 3 years
Summary
The combination of different training types is common for athletes looking to improving fitness and performance however, this combination or `concurrent training? may impair overall training quality and adaptations. Using the theoretical basis of concurrent training, this project will clarify the effects of concurrent cognitive and physical training on cognitive and physical performance. Project outcomes will substantially aid in the development of appropriate training and maximization of performance for military personnel. This project is being conducted as part of the Human Performance Research network (HPRnet) program of studies.
Investigators
Anthony Leicht, Kenji Doma, Jonathan Connor and Anne Swinbourne (College of Healthcare Sciences)
Keywords
Military; Physical performance; Concurrent Training; Cognitive performance

Rugby Australia Ltd - Contract Research

Examining playing performance in Rugby Union via static and dynamic approaches

Indicative Funding
$49,750 over 3 years
Summary
Innovative technology within elite sport has provided high performance staff with an abundance of player and team performance metrics ? `big rugby data?. Despite the availability of this information, the crucial keys to match success in rugby union remain unknown, possibly due to the complexity of match play. This project will evaluate the complexity of elite rugby union matches by examining teams? performance via novel sport analytics considering static and dynamic approaches. Outcomes will identify the keys to success from a micro to macro level and assist coaching staff to optimise strategies for enhanced success within rugby union.
Investigators
Wade Sinclair, Anthony Leicht, Jonathan Connor and Miguel Gomez Ruano in collaboration with Mikaela Callinan (College of Healthcare Sciences)
Keywords
Athletes; Sports & Exercise; Analysis

National Rugby League - Rugby League Research Committee

Identifying the impact of cognitive fitness on decision-making capacity of elite NRL officials

Indicative Funding
$11,369 over 1 year
Summary
Officiating team sport matches requires engagement of complex physical and mental/cognitive processes. Superior cognitive fitness may assist with management of match stresses for greater decision-making. This project will: 1) identify the current cognitive fitness levels of elite NRL officials; and 2) examine the impact of cognitive and/or physical stress on elite NRL official?s decision-making proficiency; 3) clarify how cognitive fitness level moderates elite NRL officials? decision-making proficiency. This project will provide recommendations to enhance the decision-making capacity of elite NRL officials with reference to cognitive fitness.
Investigators
Jonathan Connor, Anthony Leicht, Anne Swinbourne, Kenji Doma and Wade Sinclair (College of Healthcare Sciences)
Keywords
referee; Elite Athlete; Rugby League; Decision Making

National Rugby League - Rugby League Research Committee

Identifying the impact of cognitive fitness on decision-making capacity of elite NRL officials

Indicative Funding
$11,369 over 1 year
Summary
Officiating team sport matches requires engagement of complex physical and mental/cognitive processes. Superior cognitive fitness may assist with management of match stresses for greater decision-making. This project will: 1) identify the current cognitive fitness levels of elite NRL officials; and 2) examine the impact of cognitive and/or physical stress on elite NRL official?s decision-making proficiency; 3) clarify how cognitive fitness level moderates elite NRL officials? decision-making proficiency. This project will provide recommendations to enhance the decision-making capacity of elite NRL officials with reference to cognitive fitness.
Investigators
Jonathan Connor, Anthony Leicht, Anne Swinbourne, Kenji Doma and Wade Sinclair (College of Healthcare Sciences)
Keywords
referee; Elite Athlete; Rugby League; Decision-making
Supervision

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current
  • Influence of Various Athletic Movement tasks on Interlimb Asymetry in Team Sports Athletes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
  • Examining playing performance in Rugby Union via static and dynamic approaches (PhD , Primary Advisor)
  • The Validation of a Positional and Physiological Profile of Talented Male Junior Rugby Union Players in Australia (Masters , Primary Advisor)
  • The identification and development of regional female rugby league players within an elite talent pathway (PhD , Primary Advisor)
  • Investigating the Impact of Neuromuscular Fatigue and Exercise Induced Muscle Damage on Motor Skills (PhD , Primary Advisor)
Collaboration

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.

  • 5+ collaborations
  • 4 collaborations
  • 3 collaborations
  • 2 collaborations
  • 1 collaboration
  • Indicates the Tropics (Torrid Zone)

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