John Tauer, Ph.D.

John Tauer is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of St. Thomas where he teaches courses in Motivation & Emotion, General Psychology, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Research Methods in Psychology, and Social Psychology. He earned a PhD in social psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. John's research on the effects of competition, cooperation, and achievement goals on performance and motivation has been published in academic journals such as the Journal of Educational Psychology, the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. John is a frequent media commentator in the Twin Cities.

John is also the Head Men's Basketball Coach/Offensive Coordinator at the University of St. Thomas. During the past ten seasons, St. Thomas has won eight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships, including six consecutive titles. St. Thomas has a 108-12 MIAC record, and is the only basketball team in D-1, D-2, or D-3 to rank in the top ten in shooting percentage the past six seasons. In 2008-09, St. Thomas won 30 consecutive games and was ranked #1 in the country in Division III. In 2010-11, St. Thomas won the Division III National Championship.

John was an Academic All-American as a student-athlete at St. Thomas and was inducted to the University of St. Thomas Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001. John has directed his own basketball camps for thousands of youth basketball players over the past fifteen years. These positions provide John a unique perspective on motivation in different domains. John is working on a book that focuses on youth sports, parents, and motivation. His blog will connect empirical research with anecdotes from camp, the college classroom, and the athletic court.