SynthesisPloS one2022
Sport psychology and performance meta-analyses: A systematic review of the literature.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
58 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The complex interplay between psychological factors and sports performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Psychological Interventions to Enhance Athletic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2024Pooled it
- Revisiting the Self-Confidence and Sport Performance Relationship: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Enhancing psychological skills and well-being in sport through an app-based blended intervention: a randomized controlled pilot study.BMC psychology · 2025Trial
- Evaluating the Efficacy of Biofeedback in Pain Management and Rehabilitation of Sports Injuries: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.Applied psychophysiology and biofeedback · 2026Review
- The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Training on Soccer Skills and Mental Focus in Male Students Aged 10 to 14.International journal of school health · 2026Article
- Pushing athletic performance boundaries with anodal transcranial direct current stimulation: an exploratory, pilot, randomized controlled study on strength and inflammation in elite weightlifters.BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Effects of body language training on mental health and performance in adolescent Ju Jutsu athletes.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- What we get wrong about stress in sports psychology: an opinion.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- From mind to match: the impact of psychological skills intervention programs on football players' mental toughness, decision-making, and tactical skills: a randomized controlled group study.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The effect of previous team environment on the current motivation in Japanese varsity soccer players.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Managing stress in sports: the Pro•Stress program.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Review
- MOBA eSports participation and psychological traits in individuals with disabilities-an association analysis grounded in self-efficacy, social support, and trait sport confidence.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Formula 1 drivers demonstrate superior concentration and confidence compared to Formula 2 drivers.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- The effect of motivational determinants on elite Wrestlers' ıntentions to continue in sport: The mediating role of enjoyment.PloS one · 2026Article
- Mapping 50 Years of Sport Psychology-Performance Meta-Analyses: A PRISMA-ScR Scoping Review.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- The Association Between Cardiorespiratory Fitness Directly Assessed by the Cardiopulmonary Stress Test and the Perception of Stress.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Pediatric Sports: The Mental Health and Psychological Impact of Sport and Injury.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Three Reasons for Playing the Tennis Forehand in Square Stance.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Critical Evaluation of Curriculum Reporting on Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Websites.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Sport psychology as an academic pursuit is nearly two centuries old. An enduring goal since inception has been to understand how psychological techniques can improve athletic performance. Although much evidence exists in the form of meta-analytic reviews related to sport psychology and performance, a systematic review of these meta-analyses is absent from the literature. We aimed to synthesize the extant literature to gain insights into the overall impact of sport psychology on athletic performance. Guided by the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews, we reviewed relevant articles identified via the EBSCOhost interface. Thirty meta-analyses published between 1983 and 2021 met the inclusion criteria, covering 16 distinct sport psychology constructs. Overall, sport psychology interventions/variables hypothesized to enhance performance (e.g., cohesion, confidence, mindfulness) were shown to have a moderate beneficial effect (d = 0.51), whereas variables hypothesized to be detrimental to performance (e.g., cognitive anxiety, depression, ego climate) had a small negative effect (d = -0.21). The quality rating of meta-analyses did not significantly moderate the magnitude of observed effects, nor did the research design (i.e., intervention vs. correlation) of the primary studies included in the meta-analyses. Our review strengthens the evidence base for sport psychology techniques and may be of great practical value to practitioners. We provide recommendations for future research in the area.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.