Personality and Sport

Question 1

Personality

Answer 1

The characteristics or blend of
characteristics that make a person unique
The structure of personality:
◦ Psychological core
◦ Typical responses
◦ Role-related behavior

Question 2

Psychological Core

Answer 2

The most basic and deepest attitudes,
values, interests, motives, and self-worth
of a person—the real person
Example: A person’s religious values

Question 3

Typical Responses

Answer 3

The way one typically adjusts or responds
to the environment
Example: Being happy-go-lucky, shy

Question 4

Role-Related Behaviour

Answer 4

How one acts in a particular social situation

Example: Behaviour as a student, parent, or friend

Question 5

Psychodynamic Approach

Answer 5

Behaviour is determined by several unconscious, constantly changing factors that often conflict with one another.

Emphasis is placed on
understanding the
person as a whole rather
than identifying isolated
traits.

Question 6

Trait Approach

Answer 6

Behaviour is determined by relatively stable traits that are fundamental units of personality.
These traits predispose one to act in a certain way, regardless of the
situation.

Question 7

Big 5 Model of Personality

Components

Answer 7

• Neuroticism
• Extroversion
• Openness to experience
• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness

Question 8

Perfectionism

Answer 8

• setting high standards
• feeling concern over mistakes
• being highly organised

Question 9

Self-oriented perfectionism

Answer 9

Degree to which one sets high personal standards and stringently self-evaluates relative to those standards

Question 10

Socially prescribed perfectionism

Answer 10

Degree to which one perceives significant others hold high standards for the person and bases approval on meeting those standards

Question 11

Other-oriented perfectionism

Answer 11

Degree to which one holds others to extremely high standards

Question 12

Research Support for Trait Approach

Answer 12

Current impact: Has little influence.

Weakness: Knowing traits will not always help predict behavior in particular situations.

Contribution: Emphasises the importance of traits and the measurement of such dispositions.

Question 13

Situational Approach

Answer 13

• Behaviour is determined largely by the situation or environment.
• The situation is a more important determinant of behavior than particular personality traits.
• The situational approach is not as widely embraced by most sport psychologists.

Question 14

Research Support for Situational Approach

Answer 14

Current impact: Has little influence.

Weakness: Situation will not always influence individual behavior.

Contribution: Emphasises the importance of the situation.

Question 15

Interactional Approach

Answer 15

Behaviour is determined by both the person and the situational factors as well as by their interaction.

The majority of contemporary sport and exercise psychologists favour the interactional approach.

Question 16

Research Support for Interactional Approach

Answer 16

Current impact: Has considerable influence and has been adopted by most contemporary sport psychologists.

Weakness: None.

Contribution: Emphasises the consideration of both trait and situational variables and their interaction.

Question 17

Phenomenological Approach

Answer 17

Behaviour is best determined by accounting for situational and personal characteristics.

A person’s understanding and interpretation of one’s self and environment are critical.

The phenomenological view is often stressed by today’s sport psychologists.

Question 18

Research Support for Phenomenological Approach

Answer 18

Current impact: Has considerable influence and has been adopted by many contemporary sport psychologists.

Weakness: None.

Contribution: Emphasises the contribution of a person’s interpretation of one’s self and environment while considering both
trait and situational variables and their interaction

Question 19

Measuring Personality

Answer 19

There are general versus situation-specific (sport-specific) measures.

• Situation-specific trait tests predict behavior more accurately than do general trait measures.
• It is often more effective to compare personality test scores to a person’s own previous test results than to group norms.
• Projective tests are interesting but difficult to score

Question 20

Cognitive Strategies and Athletic Success

Answer 20

Cognitive strategies and mental strategies are among the skills and behaviours that athletes use in competition.

Although they’re not personality traits in the traditional sense, cognitive strategies reflect the behaviour aspect of personality and
interact with personality characteristics.