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Table 2 Study characteristics: Intervention studies

From: Acute and Chronic Physical Activity Increases Creative Ideation Performance: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-analysis

Study

Year

Participants

Age (mean, SD/range)

Design

Physical activity intervention

Control

Creative ideation task

Study quality

Aga et al. [82]

2021

n = 40

Exercise group:

n = 20

Control group:

n = 20

22.98 (1.95)

Between-subject

Cycling (15 min)

Reading (15 min)

Alternate uses test [73]

7

Blanchette et al. [83]

2005

n = 60

20 ( −)

Within-subject

Aerobic exercise (30 min)

No exercise (30 min)

Torrance test of creative thinking [71]

4

Bollimbala et al. [84]

2019

n = 34

Experimental group: n = 17

Control group:

n = 17

12 (1.29)

Between-subject (Parallel group)

Dance intervention (20 min)

Sitting (20 min)

Alternate uses test [73]

6

Bollimbala et al. [85]

2020

n = 92

Experimental group:

n = 46

Control group:

n = 46

22.04 (0.84)

Between-subject (Parallel group)

Yoga (20 min)

Case study (20 min)

Alternate uses test [73]

7

Bollimbala et al. [86]

2021

n = 68

Dancing group:

n = 34

Control group:

n = 34

21.6 (0.88)

Between-subject

Dancing (15 min)

Socializing

Alternate uses test [73]

5

Campion and Levita

[87]

2014

n = 56

Dancing group:

n = 15

Cycling group:

n = 14

Music group:

n = 14

No exercise group:

n = 13

20.4 (1.31)

Between-subject

Cycling, dancing (5 min)

Listening to music, sitting quietly (5 min)

Torrance test of creative thinking [71]

5

Donnegan et al. (1–2) [88]

2018

Yoga group:

n1 = 19

Aerobic group:

n2 = 18

Yoga:

41.3 (−)

Aerobics:

48.4 (−)

Within-subject

Yoga (75 min), aerobic (45 min)

The abbreviated Torrance test for adults [89]

3

Frith and Loprinzi [45]

2018

n = 32

23.1 (3.39)

Within-subject

Treadmill walking (15 min)

Sitting (15 min)

Alternate uses task [73]

7

Frith et al. [90]

2021

n = 32

22.66 (3.23)

Within-subject

Treadmill walking (20 min)

Sitting (20 min)

Instances creativity task [91]

7

Gondola [92]

1986

n = 19

9.77 (1.11)

Within-subject

Running (20 min/twice a week/six weeks)

Alternate uses test [73]

3

Herman-Tofler et al. [93]

1998

n = 51

Aerobic exercise group:

n = 26

Physical education group:

n = 25

Between-subject

(Parallel group)

Aerobics (25 min/ three times a week/ eight weeks)

Physical education (25 min/ three times a week/eight weeks)

Torrance test of creative thinking [71]

3

Latorre Román et al. [94]

2018

n = 96

Aerobic game group:

n = 48

Control group:

n = 48

9.84 (1.12)

Between-subject (Parallel group)

Aerobic game session (45 min)

No exercise

Prueba de imaginacion creativa-Ninos [75]

6

Latorre Román et al. [95]

2021

n = 114

Active recess program group:

n = 58

Control group:

n = 56

Experimental:

9.76 (1.09)

Control:

9.77 (1.11)

Within-subject

Active recess program (about 20 min/three times a week/ 10 weeks)

Prueba de imaginacion creativa-Ninos [75]

5

Leung et al. [96]

2012

n = 104

Between-subject (Parallel group)

Free walking (2 min), rectangular walking (2 min)

Sitting (2 min)

Droodle and Lego task

4

Ludyga et al. [97]

2020

n = 34

12.8 (1.8)

Crossover

Aerobic exercise (20 min)

Alternate uses task [73]

6

Main et al. [98]

2020

n = 29

20.4

Mixed measure (2 × 2)

Treadmill walking (8 min/ 4 × 2 min)

Sitting (8 min/ 4 × 2 min)

Alternate uses task [73]

5

Matsumoto et al. [99]

2022

n = 22

21.36 (1.33)

Within-subject

Stair-climbing

Alternate uses test [73]

7

Murali and Händel (1–3) [100]

2022

n1 = 20

n2 = 17

n3 = 23

18–35

18–35

18–35

Within-subject

Walking

Sitting

Alternate uses task [73]

7

Netz et al. [101]

2007

n = 58

Moderately-intense aerobic group:

n = 20

Moderate aerobic group:

n = 20

Control group:

n = 18

54.99 (3.14)

56.12 (3.4)

54.75 (3.01)

Between-subject (Parallel group)

Aerobic training (until participants reached their limit)

Watching a movie

Alternate uses test [73]

7

Oppezzo and Schwartz (1–3) [44]

2014

n1 = 48

n2 = 16

n3 = 10

Within-subject

Walking (treadmill and outside)

Sitting

Alternate uses test [73]

5

Österberg and Olsson [102]

2021

n = 51

Dancing group:

n = 25

Control group:

n = 26

12 ( −)

Between-subject

Dancing (3 min)

No exercise

Adopted idea generation test from Finke et al. [103]

2

Patterson et al. [104]

2018

n = 20

21.35 (1.3)

Within-subject

Treadmill walking (15 min)

Alternate uses task [73]

4

Richard et al. [105]

2021

n = 66

Aerobic dance group:

n = 30

Control group:

n = 36

23.56 (2.66)

Between-subject

Aerobic dancing (30 min/ twice a week/five weeks)

Received 3 short readings about creativity

Runco creative assessment battery

7

Ruiz-Ariza et al. [106]

2019

n = 184

Interval training group:

n = 90

Static stretching group:

n = 94

13.73 (1.34)

Between-subject (Parallel group)

High-intensity interval training (16 min/ twice a week/ 12 weeks)

Static stretching (16 min/ twice a week/ 12 weeks)

CREA test [107]

4

Steinberg et al. [108]

1997

n = 63

19–59

Within-subject

Aerobic workout (17 min) and dance (17 min)

Watched a documentary of similar duration

Torrance’s unusual uses test of creative thinking [71]

3

Tilp et al. [109]

2020

n = 35

Experimental group: n = 17

Control group:

n = 18

12.26 (0.78)

Within-subject

Motor-coordinative exercise intervention (30 min/five times a week/four weeks)

Waiting for intervention

Alternate uses task [73]

5

Young-Mi and Hye-Jeon [110]

2016

n = 30

Dance art group:

n = 15

Science class group:

n = 15

Between-subject (Parallel group)

Dance art group (180 min/once a week/15 weeks)

Science experiment class (180 min/once a week/15 weeks)

Torrance test of creative thinking [71]

4

Zhou et al. [111]

2017

n = 63

21.25 ( −)

Within-subject

Walking

Standing in the center of the room

Consequences imagination task

6

  1. n number of participants, ni number of participants in the independent subsample i, numbers in parentheses designate the independent subsamples i, e.g., Donnegan et al. (1–2)