Dataset for Meta-analysis: Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: Does Physical Activity Improve the Working Memory of Children?

Existing literature suggests that physical activity positively influences children's cognitive abilities, particularly working memory. This meta-analysis replicates and expands upon the findings of Vasilopoulos et al. (2023) on the effects of physical activity, with a focus on working memory. It incorporates eleven studies: nine from the original analysis and two additional studies (Zhang et al., 2022; Dring et al., 2022). The additional studies were included based on criteria that they were published within the last decade and examined the relationship between physical activity and working memory in children. Due to variations in working memory measures across the studies, a standardized mean difference was applied, and effect sizes were calculated using Hedges's <i>g</i> to address small sample bias. The results provide significant evidence that physical activity has a positive impact on children's working memory. However, heterogeneity was observed, emphasizing the need for future research to standardize measurement tools for both physical activity and working memory, to improve the reliability of the findings.<br><br><br>