• Christi Johnson

    Christi Johnson

    Associate Professor of Kinesiology


Biographical Sketch

Christi Johnson is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology. Her teaching interests include Sport Psychology, Exercise Psychology, Sport and Exercise Sociology, and a variety of foundational Kinesiology courses. Her research interests are in narrative psychology and identity. She is currently exploring the ways in which older adults narrate their health, exercise, and sporting identities. Christi also enjoys consulting with athletes and sport teams for performance enhancement psychology.  When not at work, Christi enjoys spending time with family, hiking, camping, and being outdoors.

Academic History

PhD, Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Health and Sport Studies, University of Iowa, 2006

MA, Cultural Studies of Sport and Leisure; Health, Leisure, and Sport Studies, University of Iowa, 2001

BS, Psychology, University of Iowa, 1999

BA, Spanish, University of Iowa, 1999

Courses Taught

Psychology of Sport

Exercise Psychology

Sports and American Society

Foundations of Kinesiology

Publications & Presentations

A. International

Coumbe-Lilley, J.C., Shipherd, A.M., Johnson, C.R., Yoder, M., & Heller, E. (January 2017). Global Virtual Teaching Symposium –AASP Teaching Sport and Exercise Psychology Special Interest Group: Fostering Student Engagement Through Problem-Based Learning in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Global Webinar offered through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

McGannon, K.R., Johnson, C.R., & Spence, J.C., (May 2008). Constructing Failure in I-O-Weigh: Accenting Women’s Physical Activity in Midwestern News Discourse.  Symposium presented at the annual meeting of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Johnson, C.R. (August 2006). The Grand Master and the Cyborg: Martial Arts and the Borders of Body and Subjectivity. Paper presented at Sport, Globalisation, and Cultural Diversity: International Summer School for Young Researchers, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Johnson, C.R. (October 2005). The Body Snatcher: Fear, Guilt, and ‘Exercise Intervention.’ Symposium entitled Fear and Loathing in Vancouver: If we only had a (para)digm to explore the media, the fear of fat, and the implications for Sport and Exercise Psychology presented at the annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Knutson, J.F., Johnson, C.R., & Sullivan, P.M. (August 2000). The use of physical discipline among parents of deaf children and normally hearing children. Lecture presented at the International Society for Research on Aggression Conference, Valencia, Spain.

B. National

Johnson, C.R., Coumbe-Lilley, J.C., Shipherd, A., Yoder, M., & Heller, E., (October 2017). Significant Learning: Strategies for Engaged Learning and Teaching in the Sport and Exercise Psychology Classroom. Panel presented at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Orlando, FL.

Johnson, C.R. & DeVries, S. (October 2017). Coubertin’s Corner: Teacher-Coach, now Teacher-Consultant? A Conceptual Model Exploring the Role of Teacher-Coaches and the Professional Development of Teacher-Consultants. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Orlando, FL.

Mertens, V. & Johnson, C.R. (February 2016). Mental Health in Tasmania: Discourse and Resistant Cultural Narratives. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Society for Cross Cultural Research, New Orleans, LA.

Johnson, C.R. & Bixler, N. (October 2015). In Pursuit of Vitality: Narratives of Intrinsic Motives, Exercise, and Aging.  Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Indianapolis, IN.

Johnson, C.R. (October 2012). Active Reflections: A Qualitative Study of Older, Rural Adults’ Self-Determined Physical Activity.  Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Atlanta, GA.

Martinez, Z., Johnson, C.R., & Morrissey, J.,(August 2010). Life is not a spectator sport: Narratives of physical activity, health and strength. Poster presented at Summer Undergraduate Research Conference, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA. Presented at Ana G. Mendez Undergraduate Symposium, San Juan, Puerto Rico.  

McGannon, K.R., Johnson, C.R., & Spence, J.C. (2010). I am (not) BIG…it’s the pictures that got small: Examining cultural and personal exercise narratives and the fear and loathing of fat. In P. Markula & E. Kennedy (Eds.), Women and Exercise: The Body, Health and Consumerism. UK: Routledge Series Research in Sport, Culture and Society.

Johnson, C.R., Roper, E., Kamphoff, C., Appleby, K., Morrissey, J. (September 2009). Finding a voice: Feminist communities and scholarship in sport and exercise psychology.  Colloquium presented at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Salt Lake City, UT

Johnson, C.R. (September 2009).  She’s got the rhythm: Poetic representation of women sporting self-stories.  Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Salt Lake City, UT

McGannon, KR. & Johnson, C.R. (2009). Speaking of Reflective Cultural Sport Psychology Research: Exploring the Interpretive Turn. Chapter invited for R. Schinke & S. Hanrahan, (Eds.) Cultural Sport Psychology.  Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Johnson, C.R. & McGannon, K.M. (September 2008). Refrains: Making sense with alternative genres or inquiry in sport psychology.  Paper submitted to the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, St. Louis, MO.

Knox, RM & Johnson, C.R. (September 2008). The man whose father shunned him, and other stories: Socialization and social support in sport and physical activity.  Poster submitted to the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, St. Louis, MO.

Knox, RM & Johnson, CR (April 2008). Ap(parent)ly Important: Parental influence within socialization and social support in sport and physical activity.  Poster presented at the annual Student Interdisciplinary Health Research Poster Session, Iowa City, IA.

Johnson, C.R. & McGannon, K.R. (October 2007). Strong and Scary? De(con)structing a Self: Personal Narrative and Sport Psychology. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, Louisville, KY.

McGannon, K.R. & Johnson, C.R. (June 2007). Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eatin’: The politics of gendered narratives and weight loss imperatives in news discourse. Paper presented at the annual conference of the North American Society for Sport and Physical Activity, San Diego, CA.

McGannon, K.R., Johnson, C.R., & Spence, J.C. (2007). Adam and Eve in the garden of eatin’: The politics of gendered narratives and weight loss imperatives in news discourse. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 29, S186.

Johnson, C.R. (2006). Book review: Coping and Emotion in Sport, by D. Lavallee, J. Thatcher, & M. Jones.  The Sport Psychologist, 20(3), 387-388.

Johnson, C.R. (May 2006). The Hwa Rang Cowboy, or how the West was Won: An Examination of Taekwondo Post-WWII. Paper presented at the annual conference of the North American Society for Sport History, Glenwood Springs, CO.

Johnson, C.R. (May 2005). Fisticuffs: On Jack Johnson, Jim Jeffries and Doing Battle in Raced and Gendered Discourses.  Paper presented at the annual conference of the North American Society for Sport History, Green Bay, WI.

Johnson, C.R. (2005). Attention—Theoretical Aspects. In R. Bartlett, C. Gratton, & C. Rolf, (Eds). Encyclopedia of International Sports Studies, 123, New York: Routledge.   

Knutson, J.F., Johnson, C.R., & Sullivan, P.M. (2004). Disciplinary choices of mothers of deaf children and normally hearing children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 28(9), 925-937.

Johnson, C.R. (September 2004). Learn it best by teaching: Explorations of identity in my physical education skills classroom. Symposium entitled My Story, their story, and our story: Using Autoethnographies to Understand the (Embodied) Self in Sport & Physical Activity Participation presented at the annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, Minneapolis, MN.

Johnson, C.R. (2003, October). Conflict and coordination:  Autonomy, relatedness, and moral sensitivity among college soccer students. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.

Johnson, C.R. & Stephens, D.E. (October 2002) Morality or social convention: Moral sensitivity and approaches to rule violations. Lecture presented at the annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, Tucson, AZ.

Johnson, C.R. & Stephens, D.E. (October 2002). The psychometric properties of a measure of moral sensitivity. Poster presented at the annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, Tucson, AZ.

Johnson, C.R. (October 2001). Moral atmosphere in sport: Theoretical and empirical foundations. Symposium presented at the annual conference of the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, Orlando, FL.

Professional & Collegiate Service

  • Research Internship Advisor, Cornell Summer Research Institute, Summer 2016
  • Representative, Diversity Committee, Cornell College, 2016-present
  • Representative, Wellness Committee, Cornell College, 2017-present
  • Representative, Diversity Committee, Association for Applied Sport Psychology, 2009-2013
  • Member, Teaching Special Interest Group, Association for Applied Sport Psychology, 2015-present 
  • Member, Qualitative Research Special Interest Group, Association for Applied Sport Psychology, 2009-present
  • Reviewer, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2007-present
  • Student Representative, Social Psychology Committee, Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology, 2004-2006

Service to Southeastern Iowa Communites

  • Peak Performance Consulting; Local high school teams, 2014-present
  • Sports Medicine Fellowship faculty member, Department of Family Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, 2009-2016
  • Mentor; Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) / McNair Scholars Program,  University of Iowa; 2010
  • Faculty Advisor, Habitat for Humanity, University of Iowa Chapter, 2010-2015
  • Assistant Coach, Hawkeye Taekwondo Collegiate National Team, 2006-2012
  • Assistant Instructor and Youth Coach, Hawkeye Taekwondo Youth Program, 2003-2012 
  • Lead Instructor, Hawkeye Kickboxing Club, 2003-2011 
  • Lead Instructor for Psychological Skills and Relaxation Techniques, Iowa GymNest, Youth Gymnastics, 2006-2010