SynthesisPloS one2025
The complex interplay between psychological factors and sports performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Advanced statistical models to handle response styles and uncertainty when modelling emotional intelligence of elite swimmers.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Profiling Personality to Predict Athletes' Academic Achievement: Cross-Cultural Analysis.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Distinguishing Mood and Emotion: Implications for High-Performance Regulation.Brain sciences · 2026Review
- Assessment of the Psycho-Emotional State Induced by Open-Skill Sport Activity: An Electroencephalography-Based Study.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Driven by Dopamine: Genetic Insights into Motivation and Performance in Sports and Esports.Genes · 2026Review
- Slow paced breathing and power posing: a pre-competitive ritual during an American football season.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- The role of psychological factors and food in improving athletic performance: an analytical study of a specific sports organization's society.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- The interplay between sexual activity, athletic performance, and recovery in athletes: a narrative review.Frontiers in physiology · 2026Review
- Mapping 50 Years of Sport Psychology-Performance Meta-Analyses: A PRISMA-ScR Scoping Review.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Connections between competencies and abilities in female artistic gymnasts and handball players.Frontiers in sports and active living · 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
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The increasing body of research underscores that athletic performance is not solely contingent upon physical capabilities but is also significantly influenced by psychological strengths. Despite this, there remains a need for comprehensive meta-analyses to rigorously investigate the link between psychological factors and sports performance. In line with this, the present study seeks to examine the influence of various psychological constructs, such as motivation, self-efficacy, self-confidence, goal setting, attention, stress management, extraversion, self-discipline, personality traits, and emotional intelligence (EI) on athletic performance. This analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines and included 127 studies covering a total of 24,358 participants. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist, ensuring a rigorous evaluation of study designs and data reliability. The findings indicate an association between personality traits-such as motivation (d = 0.525), self-efficacy (d = 0.413), conscientiousness (d = 0.316), and extraversion (d = 0.336)-and sports performance. Moreover, the overall association between psychological factors and sports performance was calculated as moderate (d = 0.329). Moderator analyses revealed no significant associations based on variables such as gender, type of sport, or type of athlete. Additionally, no significant associations were found for anxiety, openness to experience, neuroticism, or agreeableness, suggesting that these traits may have more complex or context-dependent relationships with performance. The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that psychological skills training plays a critical role in enhancing athletes' performance. Future research should delve deeper into studies conducted in specific contexts to better understand the ambivalent relations among these factors.
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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 Socratic graph.