Module 2, Personality Flashcards
Personality research examines:
psychological characteristics that make people similar to one another
psychological characteristics that make people different to one another (individual differences - what makes us unique)
Personality (definition)
the overall organization of psychological characteristics - thinking, feeling and behaving - that differentiates us from others and leads us to act consistently across time and situations
- someone consistently shows specific personality traits
Related Terms: Disposition and Trait
disposition: a broad, pervasive, encompassing way of relating to particular types of peoples and situations
- tend to be fairly open to different situations
- use disposition and personality interchangeably
trait: a relatively stable characteristic or quality that may represent a portion of one’s personality (need to know)
- generally our personalities are made up of multiple traits (makes up who we are)
Trait versus States
trait = how you generally/typically feel, think and behave (all the time, across context and situations)
state = how you feel, think, behave at this moment (more temporary, does not last for a long period of time) (ex. having a state of aggression)
“to feel proud (state) is not the same as to be a proud person (personality/trait)”
Personality Theories (in general)
- consider motives, emotions, thinking, behaviour - all that drives us and organizes emotional and cognitive experience
- recognize continuity of personality across situations and the lifespan
- how people develop -> what makes us unique
Trait Approach to Personality
- people have certain traits that influence behaviour
- researchers look for clusters of correlated behaviours, thoughts, emotions -> specific trait
- extraversion (then becomes a trait as there a cluster of correlated behaviours)
◦ tend to seek out social stimulation
◦ engage with others
◦ high energy and positivity
◦ in group situations, extraverts are likely to talk
often and assert themselves
The ‘Big Five’ Trait Model of Personality
OCEAN (openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism)
opposite - conventional, careless, impulsive introverted, aggresssive and/or disagreeable and emotional stability)
Personality and Sport & Exercise (correlation or no?)
little to no evidence:
- a distinct sport personality
- personality being related to performance
- personality being related to sport and exercise choice
* more positive findings reveal small effects or effects that are often not replicated
How does Personality Develop?: 4 Approaches
- humanistic approaches
- social learning and cognitive-behavioural approaches
- genetics/biological factors
- person-situation interaction approaches
Humanistic Approach
- focused on personality responsibility, human growth, personal striving and individual dignity
- maslow’s heirarchy of needs:
◦ once basic needs are met, individuals strive to
meet higher needs
◦ striving to be on top of the pyramid
◦ when one level of need is met, the personal will
strive for the next level
◦ ex. tiger woods has reached self-actualization
Social Learning and Cognitive - Behavioural Approaches: Behaviourism
- people learn behaviour in and for specific situations
Reinforcement: - behaviour followed by a reward increased the probability of behaviour
- behaviour associated with the removal of punishment increases probability of behaviour
Punishment:
*- behaviour that is followed by an aversive event decreases the probability of behaviour - ex. late to basketball practice, have to do 100 push-ups (Punishment), less likely to show up late because there is a punishment in place
Social Learning Theory
- bandura emphasized the importance of observational learning and modelling
- athletes can learn simply by being exposed to, or observing, the behaviour of others
- people can and do learn things from multiple mediums such as TV, magazine, DVDs and real social interactions
- more likely to adopt a behaviour if it results in valued outcomes
Genetic/Biological Factors
- approximately 50% of the variance in personality traits are attributed to heritable factors (things we are born with)
based on twin studies: - openness to experience was estimated to have a 57% genetic influence
- extraversion 54%
- conscientiousness 49%
- agreeableness 42%
Interactionist Approach to Personality
- situational interplay between person and environment determines athletes’ behaviours
- individuals bring specific experiences and dispositions to a physical activity situations
- try to understand how stable person factors affect behaviours/cognitions in specific settings
-> behaviour, personality and situations are all interconnected and go both ways
Personality Traits & Issues in Sport (4)
- risk taking and sensation seeking
- passion
- perfectionism
- mental toughness
