Institute of Sports Science

04.10.2026

Successful PhD Defense by Travis Richardson

On September 14, 2026, Travis Richardson successfully defended his cumulative doctoral dissertation, titled "Belief Dynamics in Sport: The Economic and Behavioral Consequences of Suspense, Surprise, and Expectation Violations”.

The dissertation examines how suspense, surprise, and expectation violations generated by sporting contests shape behavior across three levels: real-time television demand for the UEFA Champions League matches, the entertainment attractiveness of European football leagues over time, and post-game driving behavior near U.S. stadiums. 

The dissertation was reviewed by  Prof. Dr. Tim Pawlowski  (Supervisor) and Prof. Dr. Christian Deutscher. The examination committee was chaired by  Prof. Dr. Oliver Höner.

The Institute of Sports Science congratulates Travis Richardson on this achievement and wishes him continued success in his future academic career.

 

Related publications:

  • Emotional cues and the demand for televised sports: Evidence from the UEFA Champions League (with G. Nalbantis & T. Pawlowski).  Published in the Journal of Sports Economics.
  • Suspense and surprise in European football (with R. Flepp & T. Pawlowski). Published in the European Journal of Operational Research.
  • Emotional driving: Reference-dependent emotions and risky driving behavior after professional sporting events (with S. Bickley, H.F. Chan, T. Pawlowski, B. Torgler, & S. Yasmin). Available here.
Back
  1. Share on Facebook (opens in new window)
  2. Share on LinkedIn (opens in new window)
  3. Share on Mastodon (opens in new window)
  4. Share on Bluesky (opens in new window)
  5. Share via email (opens in new window)
  1. Share on Facebook (opens in new window)
  2. Share on LinkedIn (opens in new window)
  3. Share on Mastodon (opens in new window)
  4. Share on Bluesky (opens in new window)
  5. Share via email (opens in new window)