# A narrative review of the application of the survey experiment in sports psychology: research design and method

## TL;DR

This paper reviews how survey experiments have been used in sports psychology, covering their design and benefits from internet and big data.

## Contribution

The paper provides the first comprehensive summary of survey experiments in sports psychology.

## Key findings

- Survey experiments integrate internal and external validity, making them suitable for sports psychology.
- The Internet and big data enhance the efficiency and scope of survey experiments in this field.
- A case study illustrates practical design considerations for survey experiments in sports psychology.

## Abstract

As a research paradigm integrating internal and external validity, the survey experiment method has been widely used in the humanities and social sciences. However, there is currently no research that provides a comprehensive summary of the application of survey experiment in sports psychology.

In present study, we conducted a literature search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ELSEVIER and EBSCO from January 1st, 2001 to April 30th, 2025, using the following search terms of titles and abstracts: “Survey Experiment.”

In total, 59 studies were included in the final review, after thoroughly reviewing all the studies, the current review addressed the following aspects using narrative method: the connotations and characteristics of survey experiment; the design of survey experiment; a case study on the design of survey experiment in sport psychology research; and the advantages of the Internet and big data in advancing survey experiment.