The Köhler Motivation Gain Effect With Exercise Tasks: A Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the Köhler motivation effect in partnered dyads (conjunctive task structure) during exercise. This preregistered meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and included 19 (total sample size N = 1,912) primary, peer-reviewed research articles that have reported the effectiveness of the Köhler effect paradigm (with a no-partner control condition) in exercise tasks on the outcome variable of intensity or persistence of effort. The overall motivation gain effect was statistically significant, ( SE = 0.12), suggesting a significantly higher performance gain in conjunctive partnered exercise groups compared with individual exercise. The large effect was moderated by the performance-dependent variable (persistence and intensity), mean participant age, and exercise partner type (human and software generated). There appears to be strong support for the Köhler motivation gain paradigm as a potential to help individuals improve their effort in exercise settings.