Personality, attitudes & motivation Flashcards
What is personality?
patterns of thoughts and feelings and the ways in which we interact with our environment and other people that make us a unique person
What is the trait theory of personality?
- doesn’t believe the situation or environment has any bearing on persons behaviour
- behaviour said to be consistent
Describe a type A personality?
- highly competitive
- strong desire to succeed
- works fast
- likes to be in control
- prone to suffer stress
Describe a type B personality?
- non-competitive
- unambitious
- works more slowly
- doesn’t like to be in control
- less prone to stress
What is a stable personality?
Someone who doesn’t swing from one emotion to another but is usually constant in emotional behaviour
What is an unstable personality?
Someone who has unpredictable fluctuating emotions
What is an extrovert?
Person who seeks social situations and likes excitement but lacks concentration
What is an introvert?
Person who doesn’t seek social situations but likes peace and quiet and is good at concentrating
Explain the social learning theory in terms of personality?
- behaviour changes depending on the situation and is therefore a product of our interaction with the environment
- personality is learned through observing, modelling and imitating behaviour and through experience
Explain the interactionist approach in terms of personality?
- recognises both trait and social learning theory determine behaviour and personality
- offers more realistic explanation of personality explaining how different behaviours are produced for different situations
- suggests we base behaviour on inherent traits that we then adapt to the situation we’re in
What is an attitude?
Predisposition to act in a certain way towards something or someone in a person’s environment
What are the features of an attitude?
- enduring, emotional and behavioural responce
- can be firmly established however can be unstable, changed and controlled
What is an attitude object?
What attitudes are directed towards (can be a place, situation or others behaviour)
What are some ways a positive attitude may be formed?
- use sport as stress relief
- enjoyable experience in sport
- being good at a particular sport
- excited by challenge of sport
- belief in exercise benefits
- influence of others (norm of participation)
What are some ways a negative attitude may be formed?
- lack of ability
- bad past experience
- fear of taking part
- suffering stress when taking part
- not believing in benefits of exercise
- influence of others (norm of not participating)
What are the three components of an attitude?
- cognitive (belief)
- affective (emotions)
- behavioural (behaviour)
Describe the three components of an attitude?
Cognitive = what we know and believe about the attitude object
Affective = how we feel about the attitude object
Behavioural = how we behave towards and respond to the attitude object
What are the 2 methods of changing an attitude?
- persuasive comunication
- cognitive dissonance
What affects the effectiveness of the persuasive theory of communication?
Persuader = person attempting to change the attitude needs to be a significant other (coach)
Message = quality of the message being given needs to be clear and believable
Receiver = person who’s attitude is trying to be changed must be willing to change their attitude
What is cognitive dissonance?
When thoughts/attitudes are contradictory causing the performer discomfort until one attitude becomes stronger
What is motivation?
The psychological drive to succeed - internal mechanism and external stimuli which arouse and direct our behaviour
What are the three main considerations of motivation?
- our inner drive towards achieving a goal
- external rewards and pressure we perceive
- intensity (arousal level) and the direction of our behaviour
What is intrinsic motivation?
Is the drive from within to achieve and master for one’s own sake
What is extrinsic motivation?
Comes from an outside source like a trophy or reward which is valuable for a begginer
