1- Personalities and Attitudes

Question 1

Define personality

Answer 1

• A unique psychological make up
• People respond very differently to situations. Different situations can create different emotions within players and within sports with lots of varying consequences.

Question 2

The trait theory

Answer 2

• we are born with innate characteristics called traits
• they are stable, consistent and enduring
• this attempts to profile the individual

Question 3

Extroverts

Answer 3

• Extroverted people will always give their opinion and be loud
• however a problem with this theory is personality change

Question 4

What is personality change?

Answer 4

• A personality can change with situations, we can develop our personalities with experience.
• Young performers tend to be rash and reckless. However older/more experienced players are calm, collected and focused

Question 5

The social learning approach

Answer 5

• this approach suggests that behaviour is learned from significant others by socialisation
• for example we learn from people we hold in high esteem such as role models, friends, parents e.t.c

> 2 types- primary: what we learn from our family
Secondary: what we learn from school,
Media, e.t.c

-we copy behaviour that we see as successful and powerful and that is constantly shown to us. For example Ronaldo‘s technique when taking a freekick.

Question 6

Define socialisation

Answer 6

-Developing personality traits by associating and learning from others

Question 7

Social learning theory

Answer 7

• Vigourous learning or observational learning
• this occurs when a person is motivated to learn by watching someone else work and be rewarded
• people are motivated to imitate models who are highly competent and recognisable. People often copy experts

Question 8

What is Bandura’s social learning theory

Answer 8

• observe —> identify —> reinforced —> copy

Question 9

The interactionist perspective

Answer 9

-is a theory which combines trait and social learning to predict behaviour in a specific situation
-it indicates that born traits are adapted according to the situation
-can be summarised as:
B=F(PxE) (Lewin)
-A change in the environment will detect a change in the behaviour
-someone’s personality does not change on or off of a football pitch. However their behaviour can lead them to react to a situation in a certain way. For example, an environment can change one’s actions

Question 10

The Hollander approach to the interactionist theory.

Answer 10

-this suggests that are personality is made up of three things:
> The core of the performer
> typical responses
> role related behaviour

-also suggested that the more the environment has an influence, the more likely the behaviour is to change

Question 11

Can personality predict behaviour?

Answer 11

-credulous approach: you believe the
theories. You
accept the link
that personality can predict
behaviour.

-Sceptical approach: you don’t believe them. You
doubt the link that personality
can predict behaviour.

Question 12

How to measure personality

Answer 12

• questionnaire
• observations
• interviews

Question 13

What are the advantages and disadvantages of questionnaires?

Answer 13

• there fiction/quick
• they deal with a lot of information
• Can receive biased answers
• misunderstood questions

Question 14

What are the advantages and disadvantages of observations?

Answer 14

• True to life
• Are mainly taken during a real game
• subjective
• players behaviour can change when being assessed

Question 15

What are the advantages and disadvantages of interviews?

Answer 15

• theyre in more depth
• they’re specific
• time-consuming
• they are similar to questionnaires

Question 16

Define attitude

Answer 16

-Ideas charged with emotion that produce specific behaviour to a specific situation

Question 17

Attitude formation

Answer 17

• we learn from significant others when the information is reinforced or repeated
• they are conditioned by behaviour that is successful and reinforced – praise or develop a positive attitude between a coach and a player
• this can be negative or if the reinforcement is negative – praise for cheating behaviour

Question 18

Attitudes: Triadic model - CAB

Answer 18

• cognitive – your thoughts, e.g a belief in exercise benefits
• affective – your feelings, e.g. – enjoying training
• behavioural – your actions e.g.stoptraining three times a week

Question 19

Attitudes can be positive or negative –

Answer 19

Positive…

• familiarisation
• learn from role models
• Learned from enjoyable experiences
• learn from beliefs
• Learned from the influence of significant others
• learn by conditioned behaviour

Question 20

Attitude change-

Answer 20

2 concepts-

> cognitive dissonance
Joe topa agreement

> persuasive communication-
“That behaviour isn’t helping so pick
yourself up and go again”

Question 21

Define cognitive dissonance

Answer 21

-A challenge to existing beliefs causing “disharmony “in an individual and a motivation to change attitudes

Question 22

Define dissonance

Answer 22

-To create some conflict – it can be used in different ways

Question 23

Persuasive communication

Answer 23

• you can be talked around but it is hard as core beliefs are stable
• the message needs to be understood and have real quality
• the message should be given by someone of high status or a role model to have an effect
• timing is also important

Question 24

Changing attitudes

Answer 24

Negative attitudes can be changed to positive attitudes by:

• persuasion from a ‘perceived expert’
• making it fun when training
• allowing early success
• using positive reinforcements and rewards
• pointing out the benefits of exercise
• using role models
• cognitive dissonance

Question 25

Summary

Answer 25

• positive attitudes can mean that sports performers are prepared to keep trying and enjoying their sport
• the influence of others has a bearing on how attitudes are formed
• negative attitudes can be changes into positive ones by such psychological concepts as cognitive dissonance and persuasion