Dr. Sean Horton

Bio

Ph.D., Queen’s University, 2007
M.A., Queen’s University, 2003
B.A., Queen’s University, 1992

Dr. Horton joined the faculty in January, 2008. His research interests lie primarily in the area of skill acquisition and expert performance, both in young people and as individuals age. His most recent work has focused on older adults and the extent to which high levels of performance can be maintained into the latter stages of life.

A second area of research interest relates to stereotypes of aging, and how these affect seniors’ decisions to engage in physical activity. Popular stereotypes of aging tend to be predominantly negative in our society, which may influence decisions that seniors make as they get older, particularly with respect to involvement in sports and other forms of physical activity. Considering current demographic trends and the fact that ‘baby boomers’ are now entering their senior years, fostering physical activity involvement in senior populations is becoming increasingly important.

Finally, Dr. Horton collaborates with colleague Chad Sutherland and Community Living Essex County to develop programming consisting of adapted physical exercise (APEX) for individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability.

Areas of Research Interest

• Skill Acquisition and Maintenance through the Lifespan
• Sport Involvement, Physical Activity and Healthy Aging
• Adapted Physical Exercise

Selected Publications

Senia, M., Penrose, K., Sutherland, C.A., & Horton, S. (2024). ‘You can’t have a window visit’: The experience of mothers of an adult child with autism spectrum disorder and an intellectual disability living in supported residential accommodations during the pandemic. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 17(3), doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2024.2361636

Minott, N., Carr-Kirby, K., Penrose, K., Sutherland, C., Azar, N., & Horton. S. (2023). What’s going to happen to him when we’re gone? Uncertainties of mothers of adult children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. Journal on Developmental Disabilities. 28, 3, doi: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10573873

Duquette, A., Senia, M., van Wyk, P., Baker, J., Paquin, K., & Horton, S. (2022). Re-examining the relationship between measures of static and dynamic balance among young adults. Current Issues in Sport Science (CISS), 7, 012. https://doi.org/10.36950/2022ciss012

Deneau, J., van Wyk, P.M., and Horton, S. (2022). Capitalizing on a "huge resource": Successful aging and physically active leisure perspectives from older males. Leisure Sciences, 44,(5), 596-613. doi.org/10.1080/01490400.2019.1627965

Smith, K.L., Scarfone, S., Chittle, L., Horton, S., & Dixon, J.C. (2021).  Confusion reigns: An analysis of responses to U.S. Soccer age cut-off date policy change.  Frontiers in Sports and Active Living – Movement Science and Sport Psychology (Special Issue), 3, article 635195.

Deneau, J., Horton, S., & van Wyk, P.M. (2020). Seven 'A's of active aging: Older men's suggestions for physical activity programs. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 28(1), 53-62. doi.org/10.1123/japa.2018-0450

Dixon, J. C., Horton, S., Chittle, L., & Baker, J. (Eds.). (2020). Relative age effects in sport: International perspectives. New York: Routledge.

Horton. S., Dionigi, R.A., Gard, M., Baker, J., Weir, P., & Deneau, J. (2019). “You can sit in the middle or be one of the outliers”: Older male athletes and the complexities of social comparison. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2617. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02617

Horton, S., Dionigi, R.D., Gard, M., Baker, J., & Weir, P. (2018). “Don’t sit back with the geraniums, get out”: The complexity of older women’s stories of sport participation. Journal of Amateur Sport. 4(1), 24-51