The major aim of the Research Group on Excellence and Success in Achievement Contexts (Grupo de Investigação em Excelência e Sucesso em Contextos de Realização - GIEXCEL) is to advance knowledge in the understanding and explanation of psychological factors associated with human performance, success and excellence in applied achievement contexts, drawing insights and background knowledge mainly from educational, social and sport psychology domains. Pursuing the integration of major theoretical frameworks on stress, emotions and coping in different applied domains with recent talent identification and development, and expert performance approaches, our research efforts are focused on the understanding of the role of personal and contextual factors associated with expert performance, personal excellence and success in life. In addition, our research goals include the description and explanation of intra and inter-individual changes over time, as well as the exploration and capture of similarities, differences and across-contexts variations in the process of developing excellence and sustaining successful performances and achievements of individuals, groups and teams.

In order to achieve such goals the study of psychological structures and processes associated with both individual and collective performances, as well as the identification and exploration of successful sport, academic and professional trajectories of individuals and teams on multiple achievement contexts (e.g., sport, academics, science, performative arts, militar, other professional domains) and targeting specific populations (e.g., students, teachers, athletes, coaches, musicians, dancers).

A major line of our research studies aim to improve the knowledge, understanding, and explanation of the either alone and combined role of individual differences in personality, as well as in cognitive, motivational and affective structures and self-regulatory processes (e.g., beliefs and cognitive appraisals, goal orientations, perfectionism, coping efficacy, self-control and emotion regulation) implicated in successful, superior or exceptional performances, and positive psychological outcomes (e.g., adapted functioning, positive development, subjective success, well-being, positivity), in different applied contexts. In addition, another focus of our research studies are centered on the study and explanation of the impact of contextual and environmental variables (e.g., motivational climates, learning and training environments, deliberate practice activities, social support networks) in the development and maintenance of success, excellence, and expert performance, both at individual and group level, in real-world contexts. To address such issues a multi-method and multi-sampe approach, integrating and combining case studies, quantitative, and qualitative methodologies (e.g., self-reports, multi-informant reports, interviews, diaries, behavioral observations) is being used mainly in cross-sectional and prospective studies.
Other research interests of our Research Group include further potential and additional contributions to the development and/or adaptation and validation of general and domain-specific psychological measures and assessment tools into Portuguese language, targeting mainly high level performers and talented individuals and teams or groups.