Numerous provocative studies on the psychological effects of aerobic fitness training are available today, and more are appearing almost on a daily basis. This book reviews and evaluates the research, and it asks and attempts to answer significant background questions: What are the various motivating factors that have contributed to the emergence of the national fitness movement? What are the public health considerations con- cerning the relationship between physical fitness and coronary heart disease? What exactly do we mean by "physical fitness," especially "aerobic" fitness? This book contains essential, in-depth data for everyone interested in the most solid and reliable information on the psychology of aerobic fitness.

One - Introduction.- Coronary Heart Disease in the Twentieth Century.- Can the Study of Risk Factors Reverse the Trend?.- Emerging Significance of the Field of Exercise Physiology.- Can Fitness Provide Insurance Against Coronary Heart Disease?.- Exercise as Its Own Reward.- Summary.- Two - Aerobic Fitness.- What Is Aerobic Fitness?.- Popular Aspects of Fitness and the Exercise Revolution.- What Is the Training Effect and How Is It Achieved?.- What Are the Risks and Necessary Precautions?.- What Are the Likely Results of a Fitness Program?.- Demonstrated Health Benefits of Aerobic Fitness.- Summary.- Three - Experimental Design.- What Are Subject and Experimenter Biasing Effects?.- Problems with Definition and Standardization of Procedure.- Effects of Extraneous Variables on the Validity of Experiments.- Extraneous Variables Affecting Internal Validity.- Extraneous Variables Affecting External Validity.- Requirements for a Study of Aerobic Fitness Effects.- Procedures for Measurement of Aerobic Fitness.- Summary.- Four - Meta-Analysis.- The Nature of Evidence in the Scientific Process.- Sources of Error in Narrative Research Reviews.- Origin of and Early Work in Meta-analysis.- Strengths and Benefits of Meta-analysis.- When is Meta-analysis Appropriate?.- How to Do a Meta-analysis.- Problems and Solutions in Meta-analysis.- Remaining Problems in Meta-analysis.- Summary.- Five - Search Methods.- What and Where Is the Target Literature?.- Computer-Assisted Searches.- Additional Search Methods.- Selection Criteria.- Characteristics of Studies Not Included.- Coding Methods.- Information in the Coding Summary.- Summary.- Six - Mood Studies.- Measures of Mood State.- Independent Variables.- Results by Study.- Results by Group.- POMS and MAACL Compared.- General Findings.- Interpretation of Findings.- Summary.- Seven - Depression and Anxiety.- Measures of Depression.- Measures of Anxiety.- Independent Variables.- Results by Study.- Depression and Anxiety Groups -- Results by Group.- Additional Comparisons.- General Findings -- Depression Studies.- General Findings -- Anxiety Studies.- Depression and Anxiety Compared.- Interpretation of Findings for Depression and Anxiety.- Summary.- Eight - Self-Concept Studies.- Measures of Self-concept.- Independent Variables.- Results by Study.- Results by Group.- Additional Comparisons.- General Findings.- Interpretation of Findings.- Summary.- Nine - Personality Studies.- Measures of Personality.- Independent Variables.- Results by Study.- Results by Group.- Additional Comparisons.- General Findings.- Interpretation of Findings.- Summary.- Ten - Theory and Conclusions.- Summary of Results.- Theoretical Models.- Guidelines for Future Research.- Appendix A.- Statistical Formulae.- Coding Summary.- References.