Personality

Question 1

Define personality:

Answer 1

Characteristics of set behaviour that evolve from biological and environmental factors

Question 2

Eysenck (1982)

Answer 2

• three factor model relating to extroversion, neuroticism (emotional instability) and psychocitism (tough mindedness)
• said that extroversion and psychocitism are more likely to take up sport

Question 3

Francis (1998) hockey:

Answer 3

Compared female Irish hockey students to Irish females who didn’t play sport, more likely to score in extroversion if sport was played

Question 4

Garland and Barry (1990) Football

Answer 4

272 American footballers tested with 16PF

Showed that traits were dependant on tough mindedness, extroversion and emotional stability

Question 5

Schurr (1977) anxiety

Answer 5

Showed that team athletes were more anxious than individual

Question 6

Foehn and Armatas (2004) golf/ surf

Answer 6

Showed that surfers are more open minded with regards to new experiences

Question 7

What is the key research for this topic?

Answer 7

Kroll and Crenshaw (1970)

Question 8

Kroll and Crenshaw (1970) aim:

Answer 8

Compare personalities and 16 identified traits of elite athletes involved in wrestling, gymnastics, football and karateka

Question 9

Sample of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970) :

Answer 9

387 elite male athletes 
139 footballers
94 wrestlers 
71 karateka 
141 gymnast

Question 10

Sampling technique of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970)

Answer 10

Opportunity

Question 11

Design of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970)

Answer 11

Quasi experiment
Iv= choice of sport
Conditions: 4 sports played
DV: 16 personality traits but Catell- 200 self rating true or false statements
Also given a lie scale (judgment of how valid they are answering)

Question 12

Results of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 12

Showed biggest difference between football and gym (shy- group dependant)

Gymnast more shy and more serious about sport
Karateka in between shyness and more independent
Chi squared test done- 93.72 level of significance

Question 13

Conclusions of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 13

Most similar were footballers and wrestlers

Most distinctive was gym

Question 14

Good points of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 14

• lie scale, eliminated pps who weren’t self aware and would have answered invalidly (improves validity)
• few ethical issues at all (no breach of privacy)

Question 15

Bad points of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 15

• limited usefulness
• sample was not representative because of opportunity
• karateka (most elite of all, could have made other pps feel worse)
• low validity and reliability due to test retest (0.56-0.79)

Question 16

Nurture vs nature of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 16

Trait anxiety can be classed as both. Both debates are equally important and can influence which sport we choose (family or friends and role models)
Eysenck- nature
However nurture can be modified through CBT

Question 17

Freewill/ determinism of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 17

Free will: we can consciously choose which sport

Determinism: personality chooses? And genetic determinism (can’t gain enough muscle for wrestling?)

Question 18

Usefulness of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 18

• no particular evidence to show that personality can help us choose which sport is best
• can find help for trait anxiety

Question 19

Individual/ situational of Kroll and Crenshaw (1970):

Answer 19

Individual: all different and have different personality traits

Situational: available clubs? Expenses? Role models?

Question 20

Application: Tutko and Ogilvie (1969)

Answer 20

Believed people who would become elite athlete would be aggressive, determination, emotional control and self confidence (and others)
Made Athletic Motivation Inventory (AMI) which measured these traits and more
Later research presents bed it was as good

Question 21

Application of research: tweaking Valle and Bloom (2008)

Answer 21

You can tweak a personality to have best possible outcomes (trust and group dependence can be grown)

Question 22

Application of key research: Junge (2000)

Answer 22

Suggests that by knowing athletes personality, you can have an advantage over them