Personality

Question 1

What is personality?

Answer 1

The combination of traits and characteristics that makes us feel and behave in our unique way

Question 2

What are three theories of personality?

Answer 2

• Trait theory
• Social learning theory
• Interactionist approach

Question 3

What is trait theory?

Answer 3

• Suggest personality is innate
• It is stable
• B=F(P)

Question 4

What are the characteristics of type A and Type B personality in trait theory?

Answer 4

Type A
* Intolerance
* Competitive
* High stress level
* Controlling

Type B
* Tolerance
* Less competitive
* Low stress level
* Relaxed

Question 5

What is stable and unstable personality?

Answer 5

• Stable - unchangeable and remain constant
• Unstable - Highly changeable and unpredictable

Question 6

What is extrovert and introvert?

Answer 6

• Extrovert - A personality characteristic of a person who seek social situation and likes excitement but lacks concentration
• Introvert - A personality characteristic of a person who doesn’t seek social situation, like peace and quiet but is good at concentrating

Question 7

How does the idea of extrovert and introvert link to sports?

Answer 7

• Team players have been shown to be more anxious and extroverted but can lack the sensitivity and imagination associated with individual sport performers.

Question 8

What are some positive of trait theory?

Answer 8

• If theory is correct behaviour and personality can be predicted
• Some evidence that personality is genetic

Question 9

What are some negative of trait theory in personality?

Answer 9

• Behaviour is not always predictable
• Doesn’t account for people adjusting personality to the enviornment they are in
• Seemed to not be accurate as not just genetic

Question 10

What is the physiological explaination of extrovert and introvert?

Answer 10

• The reticular activating system (RAS)
• Extroverts have an RAS that reduces the effects of external sensory stimuli, which leads to areas of the brain experiencing low levels of arousal.
• Extroverts therefore seek more external stimulation to achieve higher levels of internal arousal & will be more outgoing to achieve this.
• Introverts have high levels of arousal naturally occurring in their brains so tend to avoid external stimulation & will be likely to be shy / avoid social situations.

Question 11

What does social learning thery suggest in personality?

Answer 11

• Behaviour=Function of Environment B=F(E)
• Suggests that behaviour is learned through interation with the environment
• Behaviour being imitated through observtaion

Question 12

What is interactionist approach to personality?

Answer 12

• A combination of trait & social learning theory
• It proposes that innate traits are triggered by environmental change.
• This approach agrees that we have traits that remain consistent, but on occasion, our traits interact with the environment and affect our personality and behaviour
• This explains how personalities seem to change e.g. Trait of competitive anxiety is only triggered in a cup final or Trait of aggression is triggered following a high tackle in rugby
• B = F (PE) Behaviour = Function (Personality & Environment)

Question 13

How is personality seen as a layered structure?

Answer 13

• An inner psychological core – is not affected by the environment, our fairly permanent qualities (basic beliefs & values) are here. This affects the next layer
• A middle layer – how we tend to respond to certain situations – typical response
• An outer layer – our role-related behaviours. Shows that our typical response may be affected by circumstances. So, our behaviour will be different at different times & in different situations – may be unlike our psychological core.
• The social environment – affects our role-related behaviours

Question 14

Who suggests the layered structure of personality in interactionis approach?

Answer 14

Hollander

Question 15

What are the positives of interactionist theory?

Answer 15

• Explains both environment and personality traits
• Used by most psychologists
• Offers a more in-depth view as to how sports people can change in different situation

Question 16

What are some negatives of interactionist theory?

Answer 16

Not a simple approach, many different variables to consider

Question 17

What is the Profile of Mood States?

Answer 17

• POMS attempts to understand the relationship between personality and sporting behaviour.
• Our personalities are made up of behaviours often called moods.
• These are personality states that are related to a particular situation.
• They are changeable and depend on our environment.