Kine 266 L3

What is personality?

• A system of conscious + unconscious processes

• interactions Leads to predictable patterns of thoughts, feelings, behaviors

Personality Triangle

Role Related behavior (top)

Typical responses(Middle)

Psychological Core(Bottom)

Personality Triangle: Bottom

• Psychological Core

  • True self (values, beliefs)

  • Stable/Constant + internal

Personality Triangle: Middle

• Typical Responses

  • How you usually respond to environment

  • Influenced by social situations

Personality Triangle: Top

Role-Related Behavior

• How you act in specific roles (athlete, student, etc.)

• Most changeable + external + dynamic

Key Ideas of Personality Triangle

• Behavior can change, core is more stable

• Personality ≠ fixed, but relatively consistent

• Personality Does NOT predict sport choice

• Personality DOES influence sport experience

Personality Research

• the study of how & why individuals think, act, feel & react as they do

• How does a particular athlete function? —> can help coach maximize performance

General Characteristics of Personality:

• Relatively stable set of personal characteristics: traits, motives, needs, dispositions, or cognitions

• NOT set in stone

Personality structure =

relatively consistent

• develops through interacts w/social world & individual make up

Explanations for why people act the way they do

Six Categories:

1. Psychodynamic Approach

2. Dispositional/Personality - Trait

3. Environmental/Learning – Situation

4. Interactional Approach

5. Cognitive Model – Phenomenological

6. Integrated - Biopsychosocial

Approaches to Studying Personality: Psychodynamic Approach

• Personality is dynamic set of processes always in motion & often in conflict

• Struggle between unconscious & conscious

Approaches to Studying Personality: Psychodynamic Approach: Cause of behavior

internal conflict, forces & urges wanting to “get out”

Approaches to Studying Personality: Dispositional/Personality Trait Approach

• Personality = stable traits —> outlook is stable

• People fall on continua (e.g., competitive ↔ non-competitive) —> disposition is on continuum

⚠ Limitation: ignores environment

Approaches to Studying Personality: Dispositional/Personality Trait Approach: Outlook

Outlook —> life is a competition

Approaches to Studying Personality: Dispositional/Personality Trait Approach: Disposition

Disposition - her disposition is always sunny

Approaches to Studying Personality: Environmental/Learning Situation Approach

• Behavior shaped by environment + reinforcement

• Based on modeling/observational learning & reinforcement shaping behaviors

⚠ Limitation: too extreme (environment ≠ everything)

Approaches to Studying Personality: Interactional Approach

(MOST accepted)

• Behavior = Person × Situation

• Must consider both traits + environment

Approaches to Studying Personality: Phenomenological (Cognitive) Approach

• Focus on how people interpret situations

• “Subjective reality” = key

Approaches to Studying Personality: Integrative/Biopsychosocial approach

• “Whole person” approach:

  • Biological

  • Psychological

  • Social

• People create their own “self-story”

Continuum of Behavioral Determination

Behavior ranges from:

• Internally driven → Environmentally driven

(psychodynamic trait —> interactional phenomenological integrative —> situational)

Personality & Performance Pyramid

• As skill level increases:

  • Physical ability = similar

  • Psychological traits = difference-maker

Personality & Performance Pyramid: How it works

• Physical Skills are more similar so psychological characteristics are what separate athletes (elite level)

• Scholastic level: Personality is still forming, desired characteristics still unclear

Key Point: How Personality Impacts Performance

• No single “athletic personality”

• But adaptive traits help performance

Personality Measures

• Trait

• State

• “Big Five” Model of personality

• Profile of Mood States (POMS) —> iceberg visualization

Personality Measure: Trait vs State

• Trait: most of the time, constant variables (personality)

• State: temporary (mood right now, at this point in time)

Personality Measure: General vs. Situational

• General = across all sports

• Situational = sport-specific

“Big Five” Model of Personality

Big Five Traits

1. Openness (curious, creative)

2. Conscientiousness (organized, disciplined)

3. Extraversion (social, energetic)

4. Agreeableness (kind, cooperative)

5. Neuroticism (anxious, unstable)

“Big Five” Model of Personality: Openness

defined by curiosity, embrace change, looking for new ways ti do thigns

“Big Five” Model of Personality: Conscientiousness

self discipline, organization, high achievement, strategizing

“Big Five” Model of Personality: Extroversion

very big, very social, likes bigger groups

“Big Five” Model of Personality: Agreeableness

pleasant, selfless

“Big Five” Model of Personality: Neuroticism

anxiety, preoccupation w/worry, emotional instability

Some big 5 personality trait researsch

• Extroversion & Conscientiousness: positively correlated to physical activity levels

• Neuroticism: negatively related to physical activity levels

Some research on personality traits show that

• Personality may be related to long-term athletic success (again depends on how we define personality, doesn’t mean that cannot be shaped)

• High risk sport athletes may be higher in extroversion and lower in conscientiousness

Traits have some…

utility in predicting behavior

Profile of Mood States (POMS) measures…

• Tension (Anxiety)

• Depression

• Anger

• Vigor

• Fatigue

• Confusion

Vigor (POMS)

physiological arousal needed for physical task going to be performed

Iceberg Profile (ideal pattern)

• High vigor

• Low all negative moods

⚠ Varies by sport!

Precompetitive Affect: Adaptive Profile

(HELPFUL)

• Tension (Anxiety) Down = Competitive focus up

• Depression down = More Strive for success

• Anger Down = more present focus

• Fatigue Down = more energy/decision making

• Confusion Down = more confidence in decision making & expectations UP

• Vigor UP

Precompetitive Affect: Maladaptive Profile

• Tension Up = negative thoughts/feelings up, anxiety up

• Depression Up = more distractions, less physical energy

• Anger Up = more focus on source of anger, less on task

• Fatigue Up = energy down, decision making down & reaction time down

• Confusion Up = confidence & expectations down

• Vigor down

Other Trait Approach research: Perfectionism

Perfectionism Types:

• Self-oriented

• Socially prescribed

• Other-oriented

Perfectionism: Self Oriented

comes from you

Perfectionism: socially prescribed

you think other people have very high expectations of you

Perfectionism: other oriented

you project other high expectations onto other people (like teammates)

Perfectionist striving

(GOOD)

—> better performance

Perfectionist Concerns

(BAD)

—> anxiety, worse outcomes

Other personality traits studies in Sports & Exercise Psychology

•Emotional control

•Emotional stability

•Self-discipline

•Trait anxiety

•Organizational ability

Emotional Control

• How would you respond/react?

• Do you control your emotions, or do they control you?

• affects reactions in competition

Emotional Stability

• Ability to recover from success or failure quickly

• Perspective allows preparation for the next competition

• Emotional instability —> “emotional roller coaster”

Self-Discipline

• Discipline vs Self-Discipline: want to create an environment that promotes self discipline

• Self-discipline is positively associated w/achievement

Trait Anxiety

• High trait anxiety (carry all the time): tend to maintain past & future-tense mindset

• Low Trait anxiety: tend to me more present minded

Critical response time has been found to be faster in athletes with..

• lower trait anxiety

• affects ability to make decisions, execute functions

Organizational Ability

• ability to balance all aspects one one’s life

• closely related to self discipline (have a lot of balance, organization ability is holistic, in multiple aspects not just sport)

There is no distinguishable “athletic personality” bc..

• Success in sport is facilitated by positive mental health & self-perception, but is not caused by it

• Personality measurements can be helpful, but must be used accurately

Take home message

Personality measurement should not be used to select athletes