Personality and Sport

What Is Personality? Measuring Personality Cognitive Strategies and Athletic Success What Makes Up Personality? Approaches to Understanding Personality (continued)

What Is Personality? The characteristics or blend of characteristics that make a person unique.

What Makes Up Personality?

What Makes Up Personality? Psychological Core The most basic and deepest attitudes, values, interests, motives, and self-worth of a person—the “real” person. Example: A person’s guiding values in everyday life

Typical Responses The way one typically adjusts or responds to the environment. Traits Example: Being happy-go-lucky, shy etc.

Role–Related Behavior How one acts in a particular social situation, or when fulfilling expectations of self and others. Example: Behavior as a student, parent, or friend; leader or captain of a team

Psychodynamic Approach Approaches to Understanding Personality

Trait Approach

Situational Approach

Interactional Approach Phenomenological Approach

Research Support: The Bottom Line Current impact. Little influence; hasn’t been adopted by most contemporary sport psychologists. Weakness. Focuses almost entirely on internal determinants of behavior, giving little attention to the social environment. Contribution: Psychodynamic approach

Research Support: The Bottom Line Current impact. Little influence, but much prior study. Weakness. Knowing traits will not always help predict behavior in particular situations. Contribution: Trait approach

Research Support: The Bottom Line Current impact. Little influence. Weakness. Situation will not always influence individual behavior. Contribution: Situational approach

Research Support: The Bottom Line Current impact. Considerable influence; adopted by most contemporary sport psychologists. Weakness. Complexity Contribution: Interactional approach

Personality and Athletics Controversy: Is personality important to performance?

Situation-specific trait tests predict behavior more accurately than do general trait measures. Measuring Personality It is often more effective to compare personality test scores relative to an individual’s own previous test results than with group norms. Measure both traits and states. General Versus Situation– (Sport–) Specific Measures

Selected Findings in Personality Research Some relationship exists between personality traits and states and sport performance, but it is far from perfect or precise. No single definitive personality profile has been found that consistently distinguishes athletes from nonathletes. Few personality differences are evident between male and female athletes. (continued)

Selected Findings in Personality Research Type-A behavior patterns (particularly the anger-hostility component) are associated with cardiovascular disease and appear to be altered via exercise. Exercise and increased fitness appear to be associated with increases in self-esteem, especially in low self-esteem individuals. Athlete stereotypes High appraisals of self-worth / Egocentricity?

Selected Findings in Personality Research Profiles of stereotypical athlete: ________ General research findings:

Selected Findings in Personality Research Profiles of women athletes compared to female non-athletes:

Selected Findings in Personality Research Morgan’s (1980) mental health model shows that successful athletes exhibit greater positive mental health than do less successful athletes. However, precise predictions have not been achieved and should not be used for team selection.

The Iceberg Profile Profile of Mood States (POMS)

The Iceberg Profile

Sensation seeking and extreme sports: What makes some enjoy high risk activities? Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale adventure seeking; experience seeking; disinhibition; dislike of boredom Ex. Study of 80 – hang gliders, car racers, & bowlers….. 21 sky-divers vs. nondivers

Summary of Personality Factors in Sport Personality traits are thought to influence actual performance in a relatively small way Best way to approach the study of personality styles in athletes is to use an interactional theory or approach, which few studies have done

Summary of Personality Factors in Sport: Interactional Model Personality (traits, life experiences, typical cognitions & emotions etc.) X Situation (current emotions, type of sport, position, opponent, coaches, level of competition, etc.)

Cognitive Strategies and Athletic Success Cognitive strategies and mental strategies are among the skills and behaviors that athletes use in competition. Both quantitative and qualitative cognitive strategy measures have been shown to differentiate between more and less successful athletes.

Cognitive Strategies and Athletic Success More successful athletes are characterized by use of a variety of cognitive strategies, including arousal regulation techniques (can control anxiety) show self-confidence concentration and focus techniques feeling in control and not forcing things low in trait anxiety (continued)

Cognitive Strategies and Athletic Success Using positive imagery and thought Exercising commitment and determination….self-discipline Setting goals Using well-developed plans and coping strategies Having adaptive reactions to loss Sensation seeking and extreme sports