Qualitative and quantitative analysis of postgraduate theses examining athletes in the field of sport psychology in Turkey

Athletes, in addition to applying certain training processes, have to manage many psychological processes correctly. Increasing competitive environment necessitates this approach. Mental and psychological processes of athletes are generally discussed in the field of sports psychology. In this context, the aim of this thesis study is to examine the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the postgraduate theses that examine the athletes in the field of sports psychology in Turkey. In this thesis, document analyses method was used. Descriptive statistical methods were used in the analysis of quantitative data, and content analysis method was used in the analysis of qualitative data. Postgraduate theses were examined through master's theses and doctoral theses. In the research, 159 postgraduate theses meeting the criteria were analyzed. According to the findings obtained in the research, it is seen that postgraduate theses are concentrated in higher education institutions in Marmara, Aegean and Central Anatolia Regions in terms of geographical region, city and university. Although the production of postgraduate thesis on the subject has increased in recent years, it has been observed that there has been a significant decrease in the number of thesis production in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic was experienced. It was observed that mostly quantitative or qualitative research approaches were used in the postgraduate theses examined. On the other hand, it was seen that the rate of postgraduate theses made with mixed research design was only 5.03%. The most researched topics in the postgraduate theses examined in the study were anxiety (10.23%), mental toughness (5.28%) and psychological needs (4.62%). In the postgraduate theses written in recent years, it has been seen that more psychological characteristics are examined, more advanced statistical applications are made and very different scales are used compared to the past. In addition, in recent years, it has been observed that the rate of obtaining ethics committee approval has reached up to 100% in some years. As a result, it can be thought that the production of postgraduate thesis on the subject should be expanded in all regions, cities and universities in Turkey. In addition to theses examining negative psychological characteristics, it may be recommended to conduct more studies focusing on positive psychological characteristics. In addition, in order to use the psychological measurement tools that have increased rapidly in recent years more effectively and efficiently, it may be recommended to investigate more realistic problem situations in the field. Keywords: Sport, Athlete Psychology, Graduate Thesis, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis, Mixed Method Research