Personality and Sport Performance

Question 1

Define personality?

Answer 1

The specific behavioural traits and characteristics that make an individual different from others.

Question 2

Key points if THE TRAIT THEORY

Answer 2

-a range of different traits inherited from PARENTAL GENES
-all behaviour is “INATE”
-traits are thought to be stable, enduring and CONSTANT in all SITUATIONS
-B = f (P) Behaviour= function of your personality.
+explains why we share traits to parents, explains why we have general, enduring traits.
-doesn’t explain why personality changes in different situations.

Question 3

What did Eysenck- a follower of the trait theory- suggest?

Answer 3

You are two of the following:
Introvert ( shy and prefer their own company) OR
Extrovert (out going, loud and prefer the company of others.

Stable( Emotions are predictable, relaxed, recover from stress quickly) OR
Neurotic/ Unstable ( extreme and unpredictable emotions, unreliable moods and highly stressed)

Question 4

Describe/ Explain the narrow band theory approach?

Answer 4

States that you have either a TYPE A personality or a TYPE B personality.
Type A- (megan A) Impatient, competitive, works fast, driven.
Type B- (sadie Bitch) Patient, easy-going, works slow, relaxed.

Question 5

How does knowing a persons personality affect sport?

Answer 5

• Can help MOTIVATE to perform/ act in accordance
• Can help put them in the correct sport and position within sport
• Helps control AROUSAL/ ANXIETY

Question 6

Key points of the SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY?

Answer 6

Learners WATCH (OBSERVE)  AND COPY 
Learning requires reinforcement/ vicarious reinforcement 
Copy significant others/ role models eg: high profile individual. 
\+explains why we differ from our parents ,explains why our personality changes in different situations.
-doesn't consider inherited traits, doesn't consider why we have role models that we don't COPY after OBSERVING.

Question 7

SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY

What does Bandura’s situational approach state?

Answer 7

Personality can change depending on the situation/environment and is not stable.
B= f (E)
Can be good if other people show “functional behaviour”
Can be bad if other people show “dysfunctional behaviour”

Question 8

Key points of the INTERACTIONIST APPROACH?

Answer 8

Personality determined by interactions between traits and situation.
Behaviour changes depending on the demands of the situation/ environment/ role models
Our genetic traits react with the environment. B= f(PE)
For example, in sport you may be required to be competitive because the aim is to win.
For example, extroverted with friends but introverted at county trial.

Question 9

Evaluate the interactionist theory?

Answer 9

+takes into account inert traits
+takes into account changing situations and environments +values the unpredictability of behaviour

• vague within aspects of the trait and social theory
• can be overcomplicated

Question 10

What does the interactionist theory follower “Hollander” suggest about personality?

Answer 10

Three Levels:

1. ROLE RELATED BEHAVIOR-most external, changeable and dynamic. “direct consequence of the environment”
2. TYPICAL RESPONSE- how we typically respond to situations
3. INNER PHYCOLOGICAL CORE- permanent , stable and inert.