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  A systematic search, using computer databases and by asking leading researchers in these areas for unpublished meta-analyses, located 34 reviews in the areas of motor behavior, exercise psychology, and sport psychology.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.