META-ANALYSES IN MOTOR BEHAVIOR
AND SPORT AND EXERCISE PSYCHOLOGY: A LOOK AT PAST AND FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTIONS
MARC R. LOCHBAUM, JERRY
R. THOMAS, AND DANIEL M. LANDERS
ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY
Meta-analytic reviews statistically summarize an
area of research. In addition to being a valuable review, a meta-analysis
indirectly serves as a marker of research questions most often investigated
or a look into past research concerns. Hence, the purpose of this
paper was to analyze the meta-analyses conducted in motor behavior and
exercise and sport psychology. A systematic search, using computer
databases and by asking leading researchers in these areas for unpublished
meta-analyses, located 34 reviews in the areas of motor behavior, exercise
psychology, and sport psychology. Seven reviews in motor behavior
were located and covered the following subtopics: Developmental and
gender differences (n = 4) and the influence of practice on motor skill
acquisition, retention, or transfer (n = 3). The exercise psychology
reviews (n = 14) covered the following subtopics: The effects of
exercise on anxiety, cognition, depression, personality, and sleep.
In addition, one review summarized the effectiveness of exercise as a stress
coping strategy, while another examined the effects of social influences
on exercise behavior. The sport psychology reviews (n = 13) covered
the following subtopics: The effects of anxiety, goal setting, mental
practice, social facilitation, and team cohesion on sport performance;
the effect of reward on intrinsic motivation; the effect of sport/physical
activity preparation on children's self-esteem; and the "mental health
model" differences between athletes and nonathletes. This analysis
provides details of past research interests and future research questions
that should be addressed for continued scientific advancement of our disciplines.
An abstract of this poster presentation appears
in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 19 (June
1997 Supplement), S82.