UNIT 13- PSYCHOLOGY FOR SPORTS PERFORMANCE Personality P1 M1 D1 WHAT IS PERSONALITY??? • Research the various definitions of personality… Cattell (1965): ‘that which tells what a man will do when placed in a given situation’ ‘Personality is the set of individual characteristics that make a person unique and will determine their relatively consistent patterns of behaviour’ THEORIES OF PERSONALITY Each person appears different in the decisions they make and how they behave in a variety of situations… PERSONALITY looks at these differences and how they affect performance. A number of theories have been proposed over the years to describe personality and its affect on performance. Yet there are always factors that don’t get taken into account within each one… • Trait Theory (dominated much of early research) • Martens ‘Schematic View’ • Psychodynamic theory • Social Learning Theory (SLT) ‘Situational approach’ • Interactional approach TRAIT THEORY Eysenck and Cattell • Dominated early personality studies • Based on the nature approach • From Psychologists such as Eysenck and Cattell • Person is the key to personality, not the situation • Personality traits are stable and enduring, and can therefore be used to predict behaviour in all situations • Eg – if someone is competitive, then they will be seen as competitive in all situations • Cattell identified 16 different personality traits, such as: • Dominance aggressive versus passive • Emotional Stability calm and stable versus high-strung • Liveliness enthusiastic versus serious • Privateness pretentious versus unpretentious • Reasoning abstract versus concrete • Rule Consciousness moralistic versus free-thinking • Self-Reliance leader versus follower Cattell suggested that these traits are in everyone, with the strongest overriding the secondary traits. To help your understanding of this, you could try Cattells trait personality test at http://similarminds.com/catt ell-16-factor.html • An example of a result from Cattell’s personality test . Factor low score high score Score Warmth cold, selfish supportive, comforting 50% Intellect instinctive, unstable cerebral, analytical 78% Emotional Stability irritable, moody level headed, calm 42& Aggressiveness modest, docile controlling, tough 74% Liveliness somber, restrained wild, fun loving 74% Dutifulness untraditional, rebellious conforming, traditional 50% Social Assertiveness shy, withdrawn uninhibited, bold 50% Sensitivity coarse, tough touchy, soft 38% Paranoia trusting, easy going wary, suspicious 70% Abstractness practical, regular strange, imaginative 38% Introversion open, friendly private, quiet 62% Anxiety confident, self assured fearful, self-doubting 74% Openmindedness closeminded, set-in-ways curious, exploratory 50% Independence outgoing, social loner, craves solitude 70% Perfectionism disorganized, messy orderly, thorough 82% Tension relaxed, cool stressed, unsatisfied 46% • Eysenck used a series of questions that would then allow him to plot personality on a graph like this. • You can take Eysenck’s trait personality test here: • http://similarminds.com/ eysenck.html 2 Major personality dimentions: – The Extroversion – Introversion dimension – The Stable – Neurotic dimension • It has been argued that extroverts are more successful in many sports • Introverts are more likely to be successful in individual sports, such as athletics and snooker. • Stable individuals are normally seen as more successful in sport than unstable athletes - Trait approach suggests that personality is enduring across all situations, and that the causes of behaviour comes from within the person… - They argue that the situation that the person finds themselves in has a very limited effect on behaviour. • Strengths • • Easily administered through questionnaires Weaknesses • Doesn’t take situation into account • • Therefore seen as simplistic • • Eg – You will always be competitive Trait theorists have tried to argue that personality traits are more stable than they really are. Questionnaires have been criticised • Honesty • Objectivity • In conclusion, personality trait theory cannot predict sporting success. However, it can give an indication why people choose different sports. • Trait theory can predict behaviour in a limited manner. But, traits cannot predict how an individual will behave in a particular situation. MARTENS ‘SCHEMATIC VIEW’ • In this view, personality is seen as having three different levels that are related to each other • Psychological Core • Typical responses • Role-related behaviour • Is what people often call ‘the real you’ • It is the part that contains your beliefs, values and interests and attitudes. • All of these are seen as relatively stable – that is they are unlikely to change over a period of time. Are the usual ways that you respond to the world around you: This is often determined by the circumstances that you find yourself in. This is seen as a very changeable element of personality Effectively, your personality changes as your perception of your environment changes. For example, you may be a captain for one team, where you take on specific roles and demonstrate a lot of leadership behaviours Later in the same week, you may be a substitute for another team, where you will have to follow a lot of different instructions. For example, an intentional foul may make you angry in football, because you feel that this is unsportsmanlike behaviour. However, in normal everyday life, you may be quiet and shy when you meet people for the first time. These are your normal responses to these situations. PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORY The psychodynamic approach says that personality is made up of conscious • Id – instinctive drive and unconscious elements • Unconscious and makes you do certain things without thinking about them • For example – the expectations as a premier league player steps up to take a penalty may make them freeze • Ego – Conscious part • Super Ego – moral conscience The effects of these two can be seen on our football player in a penalty shoot out, when the fear of missing causes them to refuse to take a penalty • Not often used in sport as it focuses on reasons that come from within, and tends to ignore the environment, which is an essential part of the athlete’s situation. • However, it is useful, in that it helps to explain that not all behaviour is under the conscious control of the athlete. By Albert Bandura and later by Richard Cox (1998) (SLT) SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY • Personality is determined by the environment in which an individual finds themselves as well as the experiences they had when they grew up. 2 mechanisms of learning: MODELLING REINFORCEMENT • It is widely held, that there are two mechanisms of learning – Modelling • Observe and imitate parents and siblings. • As we get older, it becomes our friends, celebrities, sports stars or anyone else we look up to. • Individuals are likely to model themselves on someone they can relate to – age, gender, sport, social background • As they observe the behaviour, they attempt to copy it. 4 Stages: Attention Retention Motor Reproduction Motivational Response – Reinforcement • This means that when behaviour is positively rewarded, then it is likely to be repeated. • As youngsters we learn from our parents. • In sport, there is a system of negative reinforcement to stop negative behaviour. Think about yellow cards in football, and the ‘sin bin in rugby. • Social learning theory suggests that our personality is made up of the sum of our experiences, and is not inherited. It suggests that we are made up of what we have seen and learned, and that our behaviour will vary from one situation to the next. • As such it leads us into the next theory – Situational theory. SITUATIONAL APPROACH Based on Social Learning Theory… •It says that our behaviour is based on the situation that we find ourselves in rather than the specific personality traits. •There is some support for the situational approach in sport, as extrovert personalities, such as Ronnie O’Sullivan participate in sports like snooker that are more suited to introverts, needing concentration and focus. •However, these are not conclusive, and for every one that does support this theory, there are 5 that don’t. • • Consequently, it has been argued that situation is a more powerful predictor of behaviour than personality traits. However, this has not been fully supported by research, and is in no way conclusive. INTERACTIONAL APPROACH Trait Theory: Doesn’t look at the situation Situational Theory: Not everyone responds in the same way… Interactional Approach: Considers persons psychological traits and the situation they are in as a predictor of behaviour. Behaviour= f (personality, environment A trait- state approach is needed to assess an individuals personailty traits and then assess how such traits affect their behaviour in a situation (state) E.G: An athlete with high anxiety levels as a trait, would have an exaggerated response to a specific situation… (pre kick-off) TYPES OF Type A and B PERSONALITY… Type A: - Highly competitive and strong desire to win - Achievement orientated - Eat fast, walk fast, talk fast, strong sense of urgency - Aggressive, restless, impatient - Find it difficult to delegate and needs to be in control - High level of stress High blood pressure and higher risk of Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Type B: - Less competitive - More relaxed - Delegate work easily - Take time to complete tasks - Calm, laid back and patient - Low level of stress Sport participation promotes qualities that Type B poses PERSONALITY AND SPORTS PERFORMANCE TASK… For P1, learners must first define personality and then describe how personality affects sports performance… The description must include – a definition, personality theories, personality types and the effects on sports performance. P1, P2 M1 D1 Will be on 1 document.