Personality and Sports Performance Gobinder Singh Gill

Aims and Objectives All students attempt to define personality and motivation?All students attempt to define personality and motivation? Most students will appreciate the importance of personality and its link to motivation?Most students will appreciate the importance of personality and its link to motivation? Most students will discuss major approaches to understanding personality and motivationMost students will discuss major approaches to understanding personality and motivation All students will identify how personality and motivation can be measuredAll students will identify how personality and motivation can be measured Some students will be able to examine the relationship between personality, motivation and behaviourSome students will be able to examine the relationship between personality, motivation and behaviour

What is personality? Psychological corePsychological core Typical responsesTypical responses Role related behaviourRole related behaviour

Approaches to Personality Psycho dynamic approachPsycho dynamic approach Trait approachTrait approach Situation approachSituation approach Interactional approachInteractional approach

Measuring personality and motivation QuestionnairesQuestionnaires InterviewsInterviews ObservationsObservations

PersonalityModel ExtrovertIntrovert Type A Type B Hardiness

Extroverts Extreme extroverts: oshow great confidence oare socially outgoing oprefer team sports olike whole body activities oenjoy activity and uncertainty

Introverts Extreme introverts: lack confidencelack confidence reservedreserved prefer individual sportsprefer individual sports limited movement activitieslimited movement activities fine skills, repetitive movementsfine skills, repetitive movements

TYPE A Extreme Type A personalities are more likely to be: –impatient –intolerant –have higher personal levels of stress. They are more likely to succeed in competitive sport.

TYPE B Extreme Type B personalities are more likely to be: –relaxed –tolerant –have lower personal levels of stress. They are less likely to succeed in competitive sport.

HARDINESS Hardiness is an ability trait which enables you to: –meet challenges –cope with difficulties. It is linked to mental toughness and people who have it: –refuse to give up –have an advantage in competitive sport

Using psychological and motivation measures Principles of testing and measurement errorPrinciples of testing and measurement error LimitationsLimitations Psychological tests for team selectionPsychological tests for team selection Explanation and feedbackExplanation and feedback Assure confidentialityAssure confidentiality Understand and assess specific personality componentsUnderstand and assess specific personality components

Personality research in sport and exercise Athletes and non athletesAthletes and non athletes Female athletesFemale athletes Positive mental health and the iceberg profilePositive mental health and the iceberg profile Predicting performancePredicting performance Exercise and personalityExercise and personality