Our people

Dr Thomas McGuckian

Senior Lecturer (Psychology)
Centre Member, Development & Disability Over the Lifespan program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre

Research and Professional skills: visual perception; road safety; vulnerable road users; motor learning and development; decision-making; wearable technology; ecological psychology; data analysis and visualisation

HDR Supervisor accreditation status: Full

Phone: +61 3 9953 8323

Email: thomas.mcguckian@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU Melbourne Campus

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5490-0042

After completing an undergraduate double degree in Psychology and Exercise and Sport Science, I completed my PhD at the ACU Faculty of Health Sciences, Brisbane while teaching across a broad range of units within the Exercise and Sport Science degrees, including Sport and Exercise Psychology, Motor Control and Learning, Sport Coaching, and Biomechanics. My PhD made novel use of wearable technology to quantify the visual perceptual actions of football players in ecologically valid environments, which greatly extended our understanding of athlete-environment interactions and the role of technology in answering complex questions.

Current key projects are interested in the development and implementation of evidence-based education and training in road safety, in particular for vulnerable road users, and the investigation of sports related concussion incidence and education. In addition to the key Development & Disability Over the Lifespan projects within the Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, I have ongoing collaborations locally and internationally that investigate visual exploration, concussion, motor performance, and learning. My current projects are interested in the role of visual perception when we interact with the environment.

Select publications

Journal articles

• Bennett, J. M., McGuckian, T. B., Healy, N., Lam, N., Lucas, R., Palmer, K., Crowther, R. G., Greene, D. A., Wilson, P., & Duckworth, J. (2025). Development of a virtual reality pedestrian street-crossing task: The examination of hazard perception and gap acceptance. Safety Science, 181, 106706. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2024.106706
• Subara-Zukic, E., McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., & Wilson, P. (2024). Obstacle negotiation while dual-tasking in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD): An augmented-reality approach. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 154, 104853. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104853
• Subara-Zukic, E., McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., Steenbergen, B., & Wilson, P. H. (2024). Locomotor-cognitive dual-tasking in children with developmental coordination disorder. Frontiers in Psychology, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1279427
• McGuckian, T. B., Laracas, J., Roseboom, N., Eichler, S., Kardas, S., Piantella, S., Cole, M. H., Eldridge, R., Duckworth, J., Steenbergen, B., Green, D., & Wilson, P. H. (2024). Portable Touchscreen Assessment of Motor Skill: A Registered Report of the Reliability and Validity of EDNA MoTap. Assessment, 0(0), 10731911241266306. https://doi.org/10.1177/10731911241266306
• Blanks, L. N., Carrick, Z. T., McGuckian, T. B., & Bennett, J. M. (2024). The efficacy of training to improve road safety in elderly pedestrians: A systematic review. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 207, 107735. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2024.107735
• Hilly, C., Wilson, P. H., Lucas, B., McGuckian, T. B., Swanton, R., & Froude, E. H. (2024). Effectiveness of interventions for school-aged-children and adolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation, 46(9), 1708-1733. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2023.2207043
• Gleeson, J. F., McGuckian, T. B., Fernandez, D. K., Fraser, M. I., Pepe, A., Taskis, R., Alvarez-Jimenez, M., Farhall, J. F., & Gumley, A. (2024). Systematic review of early warning signs of relapse and behavioural antecedents of symptom worsening in people living with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, 107, 102357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102357
• Duarte Machado, E., Cole, M. H., Miller, L., McGuckian, T. B., & Wilson, P. H. (2024). The efficacy of dance interventions for the activity and participation of individuals with cerebral palsy - a systematic review and meta-analysis. Disability and Rehabilitation, 46(8), 1485-1501. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2023.2200259
• McGuckian, T. B., Wilson, P. H., Johnston, R. D., Rahimi-Golkhandan, S., Piek, J., Green, D., Rogers, J. M., Maruff, P., Steenbergen, B., & Ruddock, S. (2023). Development of complex executive function over childhood: Longitudinal growth curve modeling of performance on the Groton Maze Learning Task. Child Development, 94(3), 648-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13888
• Weakley, J., Cowley, N., Schoenfeld, B. J., Read, D. B., Timmins, R. G., García-Ramos, A., & McGuckian, T. B. (2023). The Effect of Feedback on Resistance Training Performance and Adaptations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-023-01877-2
• Pike, A., McGuckian, T. B., Steenbergen, B., Cole, M. H., & Wilson, P. H. (2023). How Reliable and Valid are Dual-Task Cost Metrics? A Meta-Analysis of Locomotor-Cognitive Dual-Task Paradigms. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 104(2), 302-314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2022.07.014
• Lim, K. J., McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., Duckworth, J., & Wilson, P. H. (2023). User experience of mixed reality applications for healthy ageing: A systematic review. Cyberpsychology, 17(4), Article 5. https://doi.org/10.5817/CP2023-4-5
• Garrett, J. M., Mastrorocco, M., Peek, K., van den Hoek, D. J., & McGuckian, T. B. (2023). The Relationship Between Neck Strength and Sports-Related Concussion in Team Sports: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 53(10), 585-593. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2023.11727
• Embrechts, E., McGuckian, T. B., Rogers, J. M., Dijkerman, C. H., Steenbergen, B., Wilson, P. H., & Nijboer, T. C. W. (2023). Cognitive-and-motor therapy after stroke is not superior to motor and cognitive therapy alone to improve cognitive and motor outcomes: new insights from a meta-analysis. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, 104(10), 1720-1734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2023.05.010
• Czencz, J., Shields, N., Wallen, M., Wilson, P. H., McGuckian, T. B., & Imms, C. (2023). Does exercise affect quality of life and participation of adolescents and adults with cerebral palsy: a systematic review. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45(25), 4190-4206. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2148297
• Subara-Zukic, E., Cole, M. H., McGuckian, T. B., Steenbergen, B., Green, D., Smits-Engelsman, B. C., Lust, J. M., Abdollahipour, R., Domellöf, E., Deconinck, F. J. A., Blank, R., & Wilson, P. H. (2022). Behavioral and Neuroimaging Research on Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD): A Combined Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Recent Findings. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809455
• Belavy, D. L., Tagliaferri, S. D., Buntine, P., Saueressig, T., Samanna, C., McGuckian, T. B., Miller, C. T., & Owen, P. J. (2022). Reducing Low-Value Imaging for Low Back Pain: Systematic Review With Meta-analysis. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 52(4), 175-191. https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2022.10731
• Wilson, P. H., Rogers, J. M., Vogel, K., Steenbergen, B., McGuckian, T. B., & Duckworth, J. (2021). Home-based (virtual) rehabilitation improves motor and cognitive function for stroke patients: a randomized controlled trial of the Elements (EDNA-22) system. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 18(1), 165. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-021-00956-7
• McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., Chalkley, D., Jordet, G., & Pepping, G.-J. (2020). Constraints on visual exploration of youth football players during 11v11 match-play: The influence of playing role, pitch position and phase of play. Journal of Sports Sciences, 38, 658-668. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2020.1723375
• McGuckian, T. B., Beavan, A., Mayer, J., Chalkley, D., & Pepping, G.-J. (2020). The association between visual exploration and passing performance in high-level U13 and U23 football players. Science and Medicine in Football, 4(4), 278-284. https://doi.org/10.1080/24733938.2020.1769174
• van Andel, S., McGuckian, T. B., Chalkley, D., Cole, M. H., & Pepping, G.-J. (2019). Principles of the Guidance of Exploration for Orientation and Specification of Action. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 13, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00231
• McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., Chalkley, D., Jordet, G., & Pepping, G.-J. (2019). Visual exploration when surrounded by affordances: Frequency of head movements is predictive of response speed. Ecological Psychology, 31, 30-48. https://doi.org/10.1080/10407413.2018.1495548
• McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., Jordet, G., Chalkley, D., & Pepping, G.-J. (2018). Don't Turn Blind! The relationship between exploration before ball possession and on-ball performance in Association Football. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02520
• McGuckian, T. B., Cole, M. H., & Pepping, G.-J. (2018). A systematic review of the technology-based assessment of visual perception and exploration behaviour in association football. Journal of Sports Sciences, 36, 861-880. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2017.1344780
• Chalkley, D., Shepherd, J. B., McGuckian, T. B., & Pepping, G.-J. (2018). Development and validation of a sensor-based algorithm for detecting visual axploratory actions. IEEE Sensors Letters, 2, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.1109/LSENS.2018.2839703

Projects

• 2025. Deadly Safe Driving: The First of Its Kind - A Virtual Reality Rural Driving Hazard Perception Training Program for Young First Nations Driver. National Road Safety Action Grants Program. $897,791.32
• 2025. Shifting gears on drowsy driving: Improving road safety in shift workers by optimising caffeine intake and subsequent sleep. National Road Safety Action Grants Program. $608,394
• 2024. Thriving without driving: A practical resource toolkit to support retirement from driving in the ACT. ACT Road Safety Fund. $49,658
• 2023. The Road to Safer Walking: Improving Hazard Perception in Older Adult Pedestrians. Australian Automobile Association. $820,000
• 2016 - 2019. An examination of the visual exploratory action of association football players. McGuckian, T. B., Pepping, G.-J., Cole, M., Chalkley, D., & Jordet, G. https://doi.org/10.26199/5dcc7e93ab0e9

Accolades and awards

• Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Doctoral Training nomination, ACU, 2020
• Australian Postgraduate Award, 2016-2019

Appointments and affiliations

• Senior Lecturer, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 2024 - current
• Lecturer, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 2022 - 2024
• Research Program Manager, Development & Disability over the Lifespan, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Australian Catholic University, 2020 - 2022
• Sessional Lecturer, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 2015 - 2020

Public engagement

• Music and emotion in football, ABC Radio Brisbane, May 2021
• Music and emotion in football, 2CC Canberra Radio, May 2021
• Situation awareness wearable, FIFA, November 2018