Dr Michael Grugan

Assistant Professor

School: Psychology

I joined Northumbria University in 2022 following the submission of my PhD and a series of academic roles at York St John University, including Lecturer, Research Officer for Grants, and Graduate Teaching Assistant.

Since joining the university, I have contributed to teaching, research, and broader academic citizenship within the Department of Psychology. I am an active member of the Health and Wellbeing Research Cluster, contributing to both the Psychopathologies and Optimising Sport and Performance Psychology research groups. I also collaborate regularly with researchers across the UK and internationally, and serve as an editorial board member of the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology.

Over the past decade, I have developed a diverse teaching portfolio, recognised by the Higher Education Academy with Fellowship status (FHEA). My teaching primarily focuses on individual differences, psychometrics, and sport and exercise psychology. I currently contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in these areas of teaching across various programmes, levels of study, and delivery modes.

Email Michael

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

My research focuses on understanding how perfectionism—an aspect of our personality characterised by extreme and irrational requirements for perfection—affects individuals across various contexts, including education and sport.

I also study how the pressure to be perfect can emerge from those around us, such as coaches, teachers, and managers. My work in this area has focused on measuring this type of pressure and examining the consequences faced by individuals in highly perfectionistic environments.

These research areas are important because pressure for perfection, in its various forms, can cause significant distress and interfere with personal and interpersonal goals. Establishing a robust empirical base on the impact of perfectionistic pressure is crucial for future intervention and prevention efforts. To support this aim, my research adopts a quantitative approach, employing contemporary statistical methods, including structural equation modelling (SEM) and network analysis techniques.

I have applied my research and expert knowledge to enhance understanding of perfectionism as a complex personality trait, how it manifests, and how it can be managed when it becomes problematic. Collaborating with organisations such as the Government Legal Service for Scotland, the SEREN Network, and various schools and Higher Education institutions, I have delivered psychoeducational sessions on perfectionism.

Currently, I am engaged in projects focussed on understanding the impact of perfectionism in educational settings, involving teachers, academically gifted (or “more able”) students, and university students. I plan to continue examining perfectionism in these populations and explore potential implications for educational practices.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Burnout Literacy: A Novel Model and Measure to Aid the Recognition, Management, and Prevention of Student Burnout, Madigan, D., Hong, J., Kim, L., Grugan, M. 1 Jun 2026, In: Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
Optimising Cross-Institutional Comparisons in Large-Scale Student Surveys: An Illustration with the National Student Survey (NSS) in Russell Group Institutions, Grugan, M., Pollet, T. 4 Feb 2026
What size and shape am I?, Brokjøb, L., Cornelissen, K., Lillevoll, K., Grugan, M., McCarty, K., Tovee, M., Cornelissen, P. 28 Sep 2026, In: Frontiers in Psychology
Development and Validation of the Perfectionism Literacy Questionnaire, Etherson, M., Hill, A., Grugan, M., Madigan, D., Smith, M. 1 Jun 2025, In: Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
Perfectionism, School Burnout, and School Engagement in Gifted Students: The Role of Stress, Grugan, M., Olsson, L., Hill, A., Madigan, D. 1 Jul 2025, In: Gifted Child Quarterly
The CASES Expert Statement on Measuring Perfectionism in Sport and Exercise, Mallinson-Howard, S., Hill, A., Grugan, M., Madigan, D., Gotwals, J. 1 Jun 2025
Trait Perfectionism, Perfectionistic Self-Presentation, and Muscle Dysmorphia in Male Exercisers: A Structural Equation Modeling Strategy, Grugan, M., Wright, K. 1 Mar 2025, In: Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology
Factorial validity and measurement invariance of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), Grugan, M., Olsson, L., Vaughan, R., Madigan, D., Hill, A. 1 Jul 2024, In: Psychology of Sport and Exercise
Studying Perfectionistic Climates, Grugan, M., Fenwick, L., Olsson, L. 23 Jun 2023, The Psychology of Perfectionism in Sport, Dance, and Exercise, London, Taylor & Francis
Do Athlete and Coach Performance Perfectionism Predict Athlete Burnout?, Olsson, L., Madigan, D., Hill, A., Grugan, M. 3 Jul 2022, In: European Journal of Sport Science

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Invited talk: When performances must be perfect: Introducing perfectionistic climate 2022

PGR Supervision

Christina Ingels What keeps students awake at night? Exploring the complex relationships between childhood trauma, perfectionism and insomnia in university students. Start Date: 01/10/2025

Qualifications

Sport PhD March 09 2018