Mizzi, Leanne (2008) Effects of Exercise on Mood: A Meta-Analysis of Intervention Studies Using POMS. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
The use of exercise as a means to reduce negative mood has been repeatedly demonstrated in both primary research studies, as well as quantitative and narrative reviews of the literature. This study aimed to review the literature on how a single bout of exercise affects mood using one operationalisation of mood – the Profile of Mood States (POMS). By using the statistical technique of meta-analysis under the random effects model, this work extended the previous narrative review on the POMS by Berger and Motl (2000). In particular this study investigated five broad areas of potential moderators of mood which referred to characteristics about the exercisers, the exercise itself, the features relating to the study, the time after exercise, and finally characteristics of the POMS. This analysis was comprised of 41 studies representing 2,745 participants from which 489 effect sizes were calculated. An overall effect size of .36 was found on the combined average of the POMS subscales, indicating a significant small-to-moderate beneficial effect on mood due to exercise in general. Additionally significant small-to-moderate benefits occurred in each of the moods examined which were tension (.46), depression (.31), anger (.31), vigor (.43), fatigue (.21), and confusion (.38). The moderator analyses indicated that combined mood was moderated by exercise intensity. However, specific moods were moderated by aspects of exercise which were shared in some cases, and different in other cases. Tension was moderated by the type of exercise engaged in, the intensity at which it was performed, and the period of time between exercise completion and mood assessment. Fatigue was moderated by the age of the exerciser, and the intensity of the exercise. Further, vigor was moderated by the design of the studies, and lastly confusion was moderated also by exercise intensity. The implications to these findings suggest that exercise continues to be a low-cost safe-guard to mental health in non-clinical populations. Further, moderators appear to affect some moods, and not others, suggesting that both similar and different mechanisms underlie moods.
|
Statistics for this ePrint Item |
| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Peter Terry |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Nov 2025 01:14 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Nov 2025 01:14 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52587 |
Actions (login required)
 |
Archive Repository Staff Only |
