A01:
Personality is the term which describes the unique characteristics of an individual which makes him or her act as they do.
There are three main theories of personality:
Trait theories use the idea that a person has always had a feature of his or her personality, and always will have. Personality is made up of several traits that cluster together to produce behaviours. Cattlell identified a large number of personality traits which he measured in a questionnaire called cattells EPI. This psychometric test is used by sports psychologists to assess trait behaviours. Eynsenck Is a trait theorist who recognised four characteristics of personality. Extrovert includes characteristics such as liveliness, sociability and impulsions. A person with this trait prefers team sports which have simple motor skills and low concentration levels, for example, rugby and boxing. Introvert (includes characteristics such as isolation, independence, shyness. A person with this trait will prefer individual sports which require concentration, Precision, self motivation, intricate skills, low arousal levels. For example, archery, golf and snooker. Neurotic includes the fact that behaviour may change and so is unstable and irrational.
A02:
For example, a sportsperson may lose his or her temper for no apparent reason. Stable means that behaviour is unchanging, and a person will always react with calmness in the face of losing important points in a tennis match, for example. Eynsenck identified a two-dimensional view of personality as four primary types that can be applied to sporting situations. A stable extrovert is talkative, outgoing, has leadership qualities needed in team sports. This person attracts loyalty and can make definite and match changing decisions on patterns of play in a rugby match. A neurotic extrovert is restless, aggressive, excitable, and changeable. Such a person may only succeed in sports such as martial arts or weightlifting for example. This person may not get through the first round of an important table tennis tournament. A neurotic introvert is anxious, rigid and pessimistic. This sportsperson may not be able to implement new strategies when faced with a losing situation in an important game of rugby or hockey for example. A stable introvert is controlled, reliable and even tempered. These characteristics are often observed in snooker players and other individual sports people
A03:
Positives
- if theory is correct, personality/ behaviour can be predicted
- some evidence personality is evidenced by genetics
Criticisms
- too simplistic
- don’t account for personality changing over time
A01:
Social learning theory explains behaviour in terms of the reaction to specific situations
The main point of social learning theory is that a person will learn to deal with situations by observing those around him or her and by imitating their behaviour ( after Bandar’s). This theory explains how athletes learn behaviour by watching others such as learning skills and then copying them
A02:
For example, bo bo doll which is watching and copying
A03:
Positives
- evidence to suggest some aspects of personality are learned by watching and copying significant others/ role models
Criticisms
- doesn’t take into account genetically inherited traits
- children/ siblings/ twins brought up in same way don’t display the same personality
A01:
Interaction isn’t theories are those which assert that a combination of trait and a persons situation or environment builds up a persons personality
Traits determine behaviour, but can be modified by situations. Hollander was an interactionist theorist who stated that behaviour is a combination of both inheritance (built-in) personality traits and environment factors. The following equation describes the theory.
- B= f (PE)
- behaviour is the function of personality and environment. The theory also states that personality traits can be used to predict behaviour in some situations, but this is not exclusive.
A02:
The innate (trait) factors of the athletes personality cannot be changed by a coach. A coach could manage a sportspersons negative trait factors, such as anxiety: for example, the anxiety could be channeled into positive images of her technical model. Rejecting poor efforts as due to external factors (for example,, the weather or the wind). And building on positive images of successful technical elements achieved. The athlete can then build success by focusing on factors other than her own anxiety. This strategy will enable the player to remove the stress from the situation and hence reduce anxiety.
A03:
Positives
- offers an explanation as to why the personalities of sports performers can change in different circumstances
- used by many psychologists
Criticisms
- must develop time to developing an understanding of each person