Personality

Question 1

Personality definition

Answer 1

A systematic variation in the way people think, feel, and behave

-Emphasis on individual differences. every person is unique

Question 2

Traits definition

Answer 2

A relatively stable characteristic or quality that may represent a portion of one’s personality; a quality used to explain an individual’s behaviour across time and situations

*certain traits influence certain behaviours

Question 3

States definition

Answer 3

Momentary feelings and thoughts that change depending on the situation and time

Question 4

Digman’s Big 5 Personality Model

Answer 4

OCEAN:
1. Openness to experience (level of curiosity, opposite of being closed-minded)
2. Conscientiousness (orderliness, striving for achievement and self-discipline, careful)
3. Extraversion (level of assertiveness and an energetic approach to the world)
4. Agreeableness (compatible with other people, warm, compliant, positive approach to others)
5. Neuroticism (feelings of tension and nervousness)

Question 5

Personality in sport (7 factors)

Answer 5

1. Risk taking
2. Sensation seeking
3. Alexithymia
4. Competitiveness
5. Passion
6. Mental toughness
7. Perfectionism

Question 6

Risk taking

Answer 6

Narrowing physical and psychological safety margins (i.e. skydiving, cave diving)

Question 7

Sensation seeking

Answer 7

Look for novel, complex, and intense sensations and experiences, and the willingness to take multiple risks to obtain experiences.

*appears that it declines with age and males are more drawn to high-risk sports than females

Question 8

Alexithymia

Answer 8

Involves the inability to identify one’s emotions and to describe these feelings. Individuals with alexithymia more likely to participate in high-risk sports as compensatory strategy

Question 9

Competitiveness

Answer 9

Desire to engage in and strive for success in sport achievement situations

Question 10

Passion (2 types)

Answer 10

Harmonious Passion: Engaging in an activity as part of one’s personal identity and for the pleasure of the activity.

Obsessive Passion: Involves a more rigid and uncontrolled urge to engage in activities because of external control or feelings of guilt.

Question 11

Mental toughness

Answer 11

Positive characteristics that allow one to cope with challenging situations to attain important achievement goals.

Psychological characteristics include: perceived control, competitiveness, concentration, confidence, commitment, determination, desire, focus, emotional intelligence, resilience, persistence, and optimism

*Requires continued practice of psychological skills

Question 12

Perfectionism

Answer 12

Person’s concern with striving for flawlessness and perfection, is accompanied by critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others’ evaluations.

Conceptualized in the literature in various ways:
-Healthy and unhealthy perfectionism,
-Maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism,
-Personal standard perfectionism,
-Evaluative concerns perfectionism,
-Self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism.

Question 13

2 types of perfectionism

Answer 13

• Perfectionistic Striving (PS): High personal performance standards, high self-oriented achievement striving
• Perfectionistic Concerns (PC): Negative social evaluation, excessive self-criticism, concerns over mistakes, and doubts about actions

Question 14

How we measure personality (6 methods)

Answer 14

1. Self-report questionnaires
2. Behavioural assessments
3. Projective tests
4. Interviews
5. Biological measures
6. Online and digital data

Question 15

How does personality develop (4 approaches)

Answer 15

1. Humanistic Psychology
2. Cognitive Behavioral Approach
3. Biological/Evolutionary Psychology
4. Interactionist Approach

Question 16

Humanistic psychology

Answer 16

A psychological approach that focuses on personal responsibility, human growth, personal striving, and individual dignity.

Self-actualization: Attempts to fulfill one’s potential

Question 17

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (within humanistic psychology)

Answer 17

Psychological needs -> safety needs
-> social needs -> esteem needs -> self-actualization

Question 18

Cognitive Behavioural Approach

Answer 18

Individuals’ thoughts, perceptions, and interpretations of experiences contribute to personality.

• Behaviour is learned through experience
• Influenced by rewards and punishment

*Social learning theory

Question 19

Social Learning Theory (within cognitive behavioural)

Answer 19

People are active agents in shaping their behaviours, and are influenced by their inner drives and environments.

*Observational Learning (Modelling)
-Observing, retaining, and replicating others’ behaviours

*Self-efficacy- belief in one’s ability- plays a role in personality development

Question 20

Biological/evolutionary psychology

Answer 20

Personality can be moderately heritable, suggesting an evolutionary basis

Question 21

Interactionist approach

Answer 21

Personal/situational factors impact behaviour predictively.

Individuals bring specific experiences and dispositions to physical activity situation.

Question 22

Meta-analyses of personality in sport

Answer 22

Extraversion and Conscientiousness
=small positive association
Neuroticism
=small negative relationship

*Personality has very small association with exercise, no association with sport (cannot choose athletes based on personality)

Question 23

Type A personality

Answer 23

-Blend of ambition, low patience, competitiveness, high organization, and hostility with agitated behaviour patterns.
-In terms of the five-factor model, Type A is a blend of high extraversion, high neuroticism, high conscientiousness, and low agreeableness.

Question 24

Type D personality

Answer 24

Blend of worry, gloom, and lack of self-assurance as a cluster of traits used in medical psychology.

Question 25

Industriousness-ambition trait

Answer 25

Trait comprising aspects of achievement/striving and self-discipline

Question 26

Activity trait

Answer 26

Trait involving a general tendency for a fast lifestyle, high energy, fast talking, and keeping busy.

Question 27

Personality trait conclusions

Answer 27

• some positive correlation between Type A and exercise, activity trait, and industriousness-ambition, but negative correlation with Type D and exercise.
  -Exercise is positively associated with extraversion and conscientiousness and negatively associated with neuroticism, but links are weak.

*Overall personality has some interesting relationships with exercise, but there is limited research and insufficient conclusions on whether correlation is significant.