Advancing Transparency, Rigor, and Reproducibility in Motivational Research on Physical Activity: A Research Topic Showcase

Motivation is widely recognized as a central construct in understanding engagement, persistence, and behavioral change in physical activity and sport contexts. Over several decades, research has generated substantial empirical work examining motivational processes in these settings. At the same time, the broader field of psychological science has increasingly engaged with questions related to research transparency, methodological rigor, and reproducibility. Concerns surrounding incomplete reporting, analytic flexibility, and the limited visibility of research workflows have prompted renewed attention to how studies are designed, conducted, and communicated. Within motivational research on physical activity, these developments highlight the importance of strengthening methodological practices that support transparent research design, robust validation of methods, and reproducible findings. Addressing these issues is essential for ensuring that empirical contributions meaningfully advance both theory and applied practice.The goal of this Research Topic is to promote greater transparency, rigor, and reproducibility in motivational research within physical activity and sport settings, while serving as a curated showcase of emerging best practices. Although the field has generated substantial knowledge on motivational processes, recent developments in psychological science highlight the need for stronger methodological practices that support cumulative and reliable research. This collection is organized around three complementary pillars. First, Research Design Transparency focuses on practices that enhance the clarity and accessibility of research planning and analytic decisions, including study protocols and Registered Reports that make research intentions explicit and reduce selective reporting. Second, Research Rigor and Validation centers on methodological work that strengthens the robustness of research tools and designs, including pilot studies, feasibility trials, validation studies, and simulations. Third, Reproducibility and Meta-Research emphasizes work examining the reliability of existing findings, including replication studies, re-analyses of datasets, and investigations of research practices. Together, these contributions aim to advance a more transparent, rigorous, and cumulative research culture in sport and exercise psychology, while serving as a curated showcase of emerging best practices that can guide future research in the field.This Research Topic invites contributions addressing methodological practices and research transparency in the study of motivation within physical activity and sport contexts. We welcome a range of manuscript types, including empirical, methodological, and meta-scientific contributions, across diverse populations and settings (e.g., sport, exercise, health, and educational contexts). Submissions are encouraged in three key areas: 1) Research Design Transparency, including study protocols, Registered Reports, and approaches that improve transparency in research planning and analytic decision-making. 2) Research Rigor and Validation, encompassing pilot studies, feasibility trials, validation of measurement instruments or analytic approaches, and simulation studies examining methodological assumptions. 3) Reproducibility and Meta-Research, including replication studies, reproducibility assessments, re-analyses of existing datasets, and investigations of research practices within the field. Topic editors: Diogo S. Teixeira, Vasco Alambre Bastos, Leighton Jones, Jasmin Hutchinson, Małgorzata Maria Slawinska Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/79507/advancing-transparency-rigor-and-reproducibility-in-motivational-research-on-physical-activity-a-research-topic-showcase