1. A2 PHYSICAL EDUCATION Psychological Aspects
PERSONALITY
A2 PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Psychological Aspects 1

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES Aspects of personality Definition of personality
Interactionist perspective
Personality as a predictor of performance

3. DEFINITIONS An individual’s predisposition to behave in a certain way.
The sum total of an individuals characteristics which make him unique” (Hollander 1971)
“Personality is the more or less stable and enduring organisation of a persons character, temperament, intellect and physique which determines the unique adjustment to the environment” (Eysenck)
Pg 121 in AQA textbook.

4. TASK
Write 10 honest endings to ‘I am...’ then, when you have finished, share what you have written with someone.
Do your answers sum up your personality? You will probably have to ask someone else to answer this for you!
Why do your responses sum up your personality, or, if they don’t, why not?

5. INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE
An explanation of behaviour that assumes that our personality depends on our traits and on the environment.
Pg 122 in AQA textbook.
Interactionist Theory
“Behaviour occurs from the interaction between inherited traits and learned experiences”
BEHAVIOUR (B) = FUNCTION (f) OF PERSONALITY (P) × ENVIRONMENT (E)
B = f (P.E)

6. PERFORMANCE PREDICTORS
Personality can be used as a predictor of performance. One way of doing this is by using the Talent-identification programme.
This is also a way of measuring and predicting types of personality.
Talent-identification programme
A systematic method of identifying and selecting
those who have the ability or qualities to
progress further to a higher competitive level.

7. NARROW BAND APPROACH, GIRDANO, 1990
PERSONALITY TYPES
NARROW BAND APPROACH, GIRDANO, 1990
TRAITS
INTROVERT
Shy, timid,
reserved, aloof,
self sufficient
TYPE ‘A’
Highly competitive,
Strong desire to succeed,
Works fast, likes to control,
Prone to suffer stress
EXTROVERT
Adventurous,
confident,
Sociable,
Group dependent,
enthusiastic
TYPE ‘B’
Non-competitive,
Unambitious,
Works more slowly,
Does not enjoy control
Less prone to stress

8. Interactionist Theory
PERSONALITY THEORIES
Trait Theory
“People are born with established personality characteristics”
Inherited at birth.
Stable
Enduring
consistent in all situations.
BEHAVIOUR = FUNCTION OF PERSONALITY
+ve = Can be easily measured through questionnaires
-ve = Does not take into account environmental influences. It is not a true indicator of behaviour.
CATTELL (1965) identified 16 personality traits
INTROVERT & EXTROVERT
Social Learning Theory (Bandura)
“All behaviour is learned through interaction with the environment”
BEHAVIOUR = FUNCTION OF ENVIRONMENT
-ve = Does not consider inherited behaviour (traits)
Interactionist Theory
“Behaviour occurs from the interaction between inherited traits and learned experiences”
BEHAVIOUR = FUNCTION OF PERSONALITY × ENVIRNOMENT

9. CONCENTRIC RING THEORY (Hollander 1967)
Role Related Behaviour – Surface of personality
The Psychological Core – The ‘real you’
Typical Response – Your usual response in most situations
The boundary line of each layer gets wider as you get closer to the centre of the model which shows that each layer is harder to enter. As you move closer to the centre, your ‘real’ personality begins to surface

10. PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY (Freud 1933)ID
Basic Instinct
(no conscious
control)
EGO
Conscious
link with reality
ID, EGO & SUPER EGO interact to produce individual patterns of behaviour in sport.
SUPER EGO
Moral Arm
(social conscience)
Personality is formed from the conflict of SEEKING, RELEASING and INHIBITING behaviour.
****THINK OF AGGRESSION AS AN EXAMPLE!****

11. EYSENCK’S PERSONALITY TYPES
NEUROTIC
(UNSTABLE)
anxious, moody, unpredictable & illogical
INTROVERT
EXTROVERT
unsociable, shy & nervous
sociable, outgoing & lively
STABLE
calm, even-tempered, controlled 7 logical

12. A2 PHYSICAL EDUCATION Psychological Aspects
PERSONALITY
A2 PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Psychological Aspects 2 12

13. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Use of personality testing
Profile of mood states 13

14. PERSONALITY TESTING
Measuring personality is difficult because there is no clear definition as to what personality is!
Tests can be measured in the following ways:
Questionnaires
Interviews
Observations 14

15. QUESTIONNAIRES
Most common way of attempting to measure a person’s personality.
Requires some sort of self report (16 personality factor questionnaire designed by CATTELL).
Very popular due to being cheap and easy to produce and administer.
Fairly reliable and can be used anywhere.
Produce a considerable amount of data that can be analysed. 15

16. TASK
Complete a personality factor questionnaire to gain a greater insight into how your personality is made up. 16

17. INTERVIEWS
Try to assess personality through discussions with respondents.
A series of questions or interpretation of drawings.
Greater validity than questionnaires and can uncover issues within the individual as answers are not to limited yes or no.
Lower reliability than questionnaires as dependent on ability of interviewer to interpret answers.
Also an expensive and time consuming way of interpreting data. 17

18. OBSERVATIONS
In behavioural observations, the responses and actions of participants are recorded and analysed.
Observing individual’s behaviour in a real life setting has the advantage that the person is more likely to operate as they would naturally.
Very expensive and time consuming and also have low validity.
It is difficult to interpret the behaviour of the participant because they might know they are being watched. 18

19. PROFILE OF MOOD STATES
Used in sport to illustrate a difference between successful and less successful sportspeople.
The difference is based on mood states and coping abilities as opposed to more enduring personality traits.
Designed to measure the following
Tension
Depression
Anger
Vigour
Fatigue
Confusion 19

20. Unsuccessful athletes score equally across all mood states.
Successful athletes scored higher on anger and vigour but score lower on depression, fatigue, and confusion.
Elite athletes score higher on the positive mood of vigour and lower on the negative moods of depression, fatigue, and confusion.
Unsuccessful athletes score equally across all mood states.
Suggestion that the absence of an iceberg is an indication that something is wrong
E.g. overtrained swimmers showed lower than expected scores on vigour and higher scores on fatigue, depression, and confusion. 20

21. PROBLEMS WITH P.O.M.S
The main problem is that these results can be assumed for ALL athletes.
Not all elite performers show an iceberg profile.
Could suggest that by becoming successful athletes, the elite performers acquire self-confidence and ‘feel-good’ factors that lead them to develop positive mood states. 21

22. A2 PHYSICAL EDUCATION Psychological Aspects
PERSONALITY
A2 PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Psychological Aspects 3 22

23. LEARNING OUTCOMES Achievement Motivation Motives to achieve (Nach)
Avoid failure (Naf)
Characteristics of each 23

24. ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION
The theory that an individual’s behaviour is determined by their interaction with the environment and their desire to succeed.
Success in sport is measured against some type of COMPETITIVE GOAL.
Achievement Motivation is a concept developed by sports psychologists to link PERSONALITY and COMPETITIVENESS.
The major issue centres on the extent to which an INDIVIDUAL IS MOTIVATED TO ATTAIN SUCCESS. 24

25. ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION
The Performer in Action
ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION
ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION (interactionist perspective)
the drive to achieve success for its own sake
related to
competitiveness
persistence
striving for perfection
influenced by
personality factors
need to achieve
need to avoid failure
situational factors
probability of success
incentive value of success

26. Critical points of this theory…
Most useful when task involves chance of success
Success may mean different things to different people and can be interpreted in various ways
Measuring Achievement motivation using attitude and anxiety scales can be unreliable
It is not a global concept - performers may react in different ways in different sport specific situations
No clear relationship established between ach. Motivation and performance, however useful for predicting long term motivation

27. MOTIVES TO ACHIEVE (Nach)
Nach – Need to achieve
The motivation to succeed or attain particular goals; people with Nach type personalities show approach behaviours.
Nach personalities appear to seek out competitive situations. 27

28. NACH Nach personalities will: Accept challenges
Demonstrate task persistance
Be quick and efficient
Take risks
Welcome feedback
Take personal responsibility for actions
Try harder after failure 28

29. NEED TO AVOID FAILURE (Naf)
The motivation to avoid failure, people with Naf-type personalities show avoidance behaviours.
Naf personalities are those who seem intent on avoiding competitive situations.
Naf personalities will:
Avoid responsibility
Take an easy option
Give up after failure
Don’t accept feedback 29

30. TASK
Complete the following Questionnaire (WS2) to see whether you are one of the following:
Low achievement-orientated individual
High achievement-orientated individual 30

31. TS = Tendency to APPROACH success TAF = Tendency to AVOID failure
PERSONALITY FACTORS
A = TS
Someone with a high need to achieve will probably have a low need to avoid failure and will choose difficult or demanding tasks which are more risky, e.g.
the hard route up a rock face
TS = Tendency to APPROACH success
TAF = Tendency to AVOID failure
B = TAF
Someone with a high need to avoid failure will probably have a low need to achieve and will choose tasks which are less risky and more easily achieved,
e.g. the easy route up the rock face 31

32. SITUATIONAL FACTORS A =
If the probability of success low (competing against the world champion) you will strive very hard to win (incentive high). You will be highly chuffed if you win.
B =
If the probability of success high (competing in local club match) you don’t need to try as hard to win (incentive low and expect to win easily). It is not so pleasing if you win. 32

33. CHARACTERISITCS OF NACH & NAF
NEED TO ACHIEVE (NACH)
Tendency to approach success
likes a challenge
likes feedback
is not afraid of failure
has high task persistence
Optimistic
Confident
Takes risks
Quick completion of tasks
Attribute performance to internal factors
NEED TO AVOID FAILURE (NAF)
Tendency to avoid failure
avoids challenges
does not take risks
gives up
does not want feedback
Worries about failure
Avoids situations with 50/50 chance of success
Choose tasks which are very easy or very difficult
Attribute performance to external factors 33

34. TASK
Give some examples from sport of a ‘Nach’ and a ‘Naf’ performer, using the characteristics given.
Imagine that you are a coach to a team of sports players. Discuss in a group how you would make sure that the performers in your charge continue to show motivation to succeed. 34

35. IMPROVE NEED AND MOTIVE TO ACHIEVE (Nach)
TASK REVIEW
As a coach you could:
IMPROVE NEED AND MOTIVE TO ACHIEVE (Nach)
Increase positive reinforcement hence increasing pride and satisfaction
Ensure that goals are achievable
Ensure that at least some situations guarantee success
and subsequently gradually increase task difficulty in line with progress
Ensure that tasks are challenging
Ensure that the probability of success is good
Ensure that the incentive value of the success is high (is the race worth winning?) 35

36. REDUCE TENDENCY AND MOTIVE TO AVOID FAILURE (Naf)
TASK REVIEW
REDUCE TENDENCY AND MOTIVE TO AVOID FAILURE (Naf)
Reduce punishment hence lowering the chance of performer worrying about failure
Focus negative feedback on effort rather than ability. This avoids the performer tending to believe that causes of failure are internal (due to lack of ability for example) and reduces the risk of learned helplessness.
Avoid situations where defeat / failure is inevitable (such as performing against a much superior opponent)
If this is not possible alter the criteria for success (you will have succeeded if you only lose by 2 goals). 36

37. To ensure the motives to succeed
A coach would want the players in a team to be competitive and to continue to try harder, particularly in the face of defeat.
To ensure that players maintain the motives to succeed, a coach might:
Allow early success
Raise self efficacy
Attribute success internally and failure externally
Use rewards and reinforcement
Promote intrinsic motivation with personal goals
Show successful, attainable role models
Re-define failure
Control arousal 37

38. LEARNING OUTCOMES Incentive value and probability of success.
Development of approach and avoidance behaviour. 38

39. ACHIEVEMENT MOTIVATION & COMPETITION
A high degree of achievement motivation might lead to the inclination to be competitive. This is again related to personality. A performer with high trait anxiety may exhibit the need to avoid failure because they are usually worried about the outcome.
Competiveness measures the degree to which we approach competition and success in sport. The amount of competiveness shown depends on the situational variables of task importance, experience and confidence. It is measured in three areas: - 39

40. WIN or OUTCOME ORIENTATION GOAL or TASK ORIENTATION
COMPETITIVENESS
The desire to seek and strive for success in sport
WIN or OUTCOME ORIENTATION
The desire to win interpersonal competitive sporting events (this is sometimes referred to as an ego approach behaviour to competition
GOAL or TASK ORIENTATION
The desire to reach personal goals (this can be referred to as task motivation 40

41. GOAL or OUTCOME ORIENTATED MOTIVATION TASK ORIENTATED MOTIVATION
TYPES OF MOTIVATION
GOAL or OUTCOME ORIENTATED MOTIVATION
Ego orientated performers see success as beating others and showing superiority.
Ability is important for success, so goals that emphasise superiority are important.
TASK ORIENTATED MOTIVATION
Task orientated performers believe success is measured in terms of personal improvement and that effort is important.
Performance and process goals that concern technique are the best ones to motivate this type of performer. 41

42. KEY TERMS
Achievement Motivation - a theory which proposes that the behaviour of an individual is based on his or her interaction with the environment and desire to succeed
N.Ach - need to achieve
N.af - need to avoid failure
Approach behaviour - the performer is motivated to attempt a challenging situation even though they might fail
Avoidance behaviour - the performer is motivated to protect their self-esteem and may not place themselves in a evaluation situation
Self-efficacy - the degree of self confidence experienced by a performer in a specific situation
Learned helplessness - feelings of an individual when they think failure is inevitable because of past negative experience
Attributions - the perceived reasons a performer gives for their performances both success and failure
Interactionist - behaviour of individual is combination of personality and environment/situation at that time