Office Location:
1152B Building 528Office Hours:
Wednesdays 4:00-5:00Scholarly Interests
Dr. Magill is an Adjunct Professor in the Motor Learning program, Department of Biobehavioral Sciences. Dr Magill is a leading lecturer and researcher in the areas of motor learning and motor control, and he has written extensively about applications of motor learning concepts to both sports and rehabilitation, and is the author of the textbook Motor Learning and Control, currently in its 10th edition. Dr. Magill is Professor Emeritus at Louisiana State University, where he spent much of his career as a Professor in the Department of Kinesiology.
Dr. Magill currently teaches the Motor Learning and Motor Development courses.
Educational Background
1971-1974 Ph.D. Educational Psychology (Motor Learning specialization)
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
1966-1969 Ed.M. Physical Education
Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1962-1966 B.S. Theology
Philadelphia College of Bible [now Cairn University], Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Selected Publications
Magill, R.A., & Anderson, D.I. (2014). Motor learning and control: Concepts and applications (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Yen, S.C., Gutierrez, M.G., Ling W., Magill R., & McDonough A. (2012). Coordination variability during load carriage walking: Can it contribute to low back pain? Human Movement Science, 31(6), 1286-1301.
Yen, S.C., Ling, W., Magill, R., McDonough, A., & Gutierrez, M.G. (2011). Temporal relationship between trunk and thigh contributes to balance control during load carriage walking. Gait & Posture, 34, 402-408.
Wu, W.F.W., & Magill, R.A. (2011). Allowing learners to choose: Self-controlled practice schedules for learning multiple movement patterns. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 82 (3), 449-457.
Porter, J.M., & Magill, R.A. (2010). Systematically increasing contextual interference is beneficial for learning sport skills. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28(12), 1277-1285.
Honors and Awards
Fellow, Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD) [elected, 1979]
Listed in Outstanding Young Men in America-1980
Listed in World’s Who’s Who in Sport Psychology (1982)
Member, Board of Directors, National Youth Sports Coaches Association (1983-1988)
President, North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (1984-1985)
Member, Managing Council, International Society of Sport Psychology (1985-1993)
Keynote Speaker, World Congress on Sport Psychology, Copenhagen, Denmark (June, 1985)
Fellow, American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education (elected, 1987)
Invited Scholar Tutorial Lecturer of the Research Consortium of AAHPERD and Academy of Physical Education, AAHPERD Convention, Boston (April, 1989)
Host faculty member for Visiting Fulbright Scholar (Spring semester, 1989)
Invited delegate, People to People Sport Psychology Delegation to East Germany and USSR (June, 1989)
Scholar Award, Southern District AAHPERD (1990-1991)
Keynote Speaker, International Scientific Congress—Winter Games 1992, Grenoble, France (Feb., 1992)
Invited major speaker, FISU/CESU Conference [part of the World University Games], Buffalo, NY (July, 1993).
Keynote speaker, 5th annual International Congress of the Association for Research in Physical Activity and Sport (ACAPS), Caen, France (October, 1993) [first American keynote speaker at an ACAPS congress]
Keynote speaker, World Congress on Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Granada, Spain (November, 1993)
Listed in The International Who’s Who in Sport Pedagogy Theory and Research. 1994
Cecil and Ida Green Honors Professor, Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth, Texas (April, 1995)
C.H. McCloy Lecturer, AAHPERD Research Consortium annual meeting, St. Louis (March, 1997)
LSU Distinguished Faculty Award (April, 1999)
Recipient of endowed professorship: Helen “Bessie” Silverberg Pliner Professor in Kinesiology (September, 1999)
Presented invited Senior Scholar Lecture for Motor Learning/Control at the annual meeting of NASPSPA, St. Louis, MO (June, 2001)
Elected President for 2002-2003, American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education (now National Academy of Kinesiology); served as President-Elect for 2001-2002; served as Past President for 2003-2004
Keynote speaker, 10th annual International Congress of the Association for Research in Physical Activity and Sport (ACAPS), Toulouse, France (October, 2003)
Keynote speaker, Viveca Symposium 2003-“Exercise and Psychological Well-Being,” University of Jyvaskyla, Finland (December, 2003)
Inaugural invited keynote speaker for the Colloquium of the Department of Developmental and Rehabilitative Sciences, School of Health Related Professions, at the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) [Endowed by the Daniel Strulowitz Memorial Fund]. (January, 2010,).
Recipient of President’s Award for service to the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, at its annual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii (June, 2012).
Professional Presentations
Chow, S.B., Ling, W.K., Magill, R.A., & Hillstrom, H.J. (2012, June). Does walking speed influence peak hip extension in individuals who underwent unilateral total hip replacement? Presented at the annual meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, Tampa, FL.
Wu, W.F., & Magill, R.A. (2010, June). Self-controlled learning: Is self-regulation responsible for learning effects? Presented at the annual meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Tucson, Arizona. [Abstract published: Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 2010, Vol. 32, Supplement, pp. S137.]
Leach, S.J., & Magill, R.A. (2010, Feb.). A divided-attention stepping accuracy task (DATSAT) as a procedural learning intervention improves balance and functional performance in healthy older adults. Presented at the Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, San Diego, California.
Magill, R.A. (2009, June). The contextual interference effect: Generalizable but not ubiquitous. Presented at the annual meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, Austin, Texas. [Abstract published: Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 2009, Vol. 31, Supplement, pp. S4 – 5.]
Leach, S.J., & Magill, R.A. (2009, Feb.). The effects of a divided-attention stepping accuracy task on balance, functional outcome measures and strength in an individual with an incomplete spinal cord injury. Presented at the Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association, Las Vegas, Nevada.