The difficulty in understanding human behavior requires using whatever approaches that address the questions. Concerning such questions, four forces have emerged in psychology representing variations in ontology, philosophies of science, and concomitant epistemologies and methodologies. Nonetheless, when viewed from a metapsychological perspective, one force has predominated in exercise psychology to the exclusion of the remaining three. A recognition of the complexity in exercise behavior calls for additional psychologies that provide an expanded perspective for understanding the problems and questions that arise. Exercise dependency is an example of such a problem, and existential psychology will be introduced as a means of studying and understanding this problem. An example of existential-phenomenological research on exercise behavior is included to demonstrate the possibility of such inquiry and to exemplify contributions to understanding that might ensue.

Spirituality has been recognized as pivotal in health education and health promotion. Although spirituality is often discussed as a dimension of health, there is little evidence of integrating it into educational settings and health promotion programs. The difficulty in addressing the concept of spirituality is related to both its association with denominational religion and our cultural emphasis on the material realm. However, some scholars are now associating spirituality with the development of human consciousness beyond the ego level. It has been suggested that the scientific investigation of this development beyond the ego may be possible with empirical and phenomenological, as well as with traditional contemplative methods. Thus, investigation in the realms of consciousness beyond the ego can be addressed within theories of knowledge that are grounded in experience. An examination of the spirituality/consciousness relationship may be crucial for any profession that purports to address the health issues of the whole person. It may then be possible to more easily integrate spirituality into educational settings and health enhancement programs. If spirituality is part of human experience, then willingness to make forays into this dimension is fundamental to health.

Health promotion professionals may benefit personally and professionally by being aware of the new developmental paradigm which differentiates spiritual growth from pathological symptoms. Further theoretical clarification and research will be needed before detailed recommendations for practice can be made.

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Although the physical science approach to the study of movement was originally adopted as sufficient for the study of humans, the limitations of this approach are increasingly being recognized. This recognition of limitations has led to the widespread use of an often confusing variety of research methodologies. The variety of research methods can be readily understood when differentiated in two ways: first, according to the level of reality to which they refer and, second, according to the specific interest in the inquiry--whether the interest is technical manipulation, the understanding of meaning, or emancipation. The necessity for this realities-based framework is grounded in the recognition that the human world of movement, in addition to relating to the material realm, also includes meaning. This framework then provides an integration of ways of knowing and methodologies for one of the most profound scientific potentials necessary for a human science--understanding meaning.