What is personality?
Characteristic that make a person unique
What is the structure of personality?
Psychological core
Typical Response
Role-related behavior
What is psychological core?
The most basic and deepest attitude, value, motive, interest and self-worth. “real person” (stable)
What is the typical response?
The way one typically responds to the environment (dynamic)
What is role-related behavior?
How one acts in a particular social environment (fake you)
What is the psycho-dynamic approach?
Behavior is determined by several unconscious constantly changing factors that often conflict with one another.
Emphasis on understanding the person as a whole rather than a trait
What is research support psycho-dynamics?
Little influence
Focuses on internal determinants of behavior
Has increases awareness of unconscious determinants
What is the trait approach?
Behavior is determines by relatively stable traits that are fundamental units of personality
Predisposition to act a certain way regardless of the situation
What is the Big 5 Model of Personality Components?
Neuroticism Extroversion Openness to experience Agreeableness Conscientiousness
What is research support for trait approach?
Little influence
Knowing traits will not always help predict behavior
Emphasis on importance of traits
What is perfectionism?
Widely studied Multidimensional -> high standards, concern over mistakes, highly organized Both positive (adaptive -goal oriented) and negative (maladaptive - concern can lead to poor performance/ burnout)
What is situational approach?
determined by situations/environment
situation=more important than traits
Not widely embraced by sport psychologists
What is research support for situational approach?
Little influence
Situations don’t always influence behavior
Emphasis on situation
What is the interactionalist approach?
Behavior is determined by both person and situation and interactions
Favoured approach
What is the research approach for interactionalist approach?
Considerable influence (adopted by most) no weakness Emphasis on both trait and situation and their interactions
What is the phenomenological approach?
Behavior is determined by situation and personal characteristics
Person’s understanding and interpretations of ones self and environment
What is research support for phenomenological approach?
Considerable influence
No weaknesses
Emphasis on interpretations while considering trait and situational variables and their interactions
What is a trait vs state?
Trait - typical style of behavior
State - situational effect on behavior. “right now” feeling that can change from moment to moment
How to measure personality
General vs Specific
Situational specific trait tests better predict behavior
Compare personal personality tests
Projective tests are interesting but difficult to score
What are some findings of personality research?
- More complex relationship between traits and states and sport performance
- Few differences in male vs female
- Successful athletes have more positive mental health
- Predictions have not been made and should not be used for team selection
- Increased fitness = increased self-esteem
What are cognitive strategies?
- Skills and behaviors used in competition (self talk)
- Not personality traits
- Reflect the behavior aspect of personality and interact with characteristics
- Overachieving athletes are: more coach-able, concentrated, better at coping, better cognitive strategy
- Related to superior performance
- Mental prep is critical to success
What arr the guidelines for practice?
- Enhance confidence and practice specific plans
- Practice routines to deal with unusual circumstances
- Mental rehearsal
- Focus on what is controllable
- Develop detailed plans
- Regulate arousal and anxiety
