Personality and Sport

Personality Types in Sport

Personality refers to the patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving that make an individual unique.
In sports science, the influence of personality on sports performance is often considered. Thus, understanding an athlete’s personality can help predict and modify behaviour.
There are different personality types and models, including the trait model, the type model, and the interactionist approach.

The Trait Model

The Trait Model suggests that an individual’s personality consists of a set of traits that are consistent and enduring.
According to this view, athletes may possess traits such as competitiveness, aggressiveness, or risk-taking, which may influence their sporting performance.

The Type Model

The Type Model is another approach which categorises personalities into types. One example is the Eysenck’s Personality Inventory, which identifies individuals as being either extrovert or introvert, and neurotic or stable.
Extroverts are associated with team sports due to their outgoing nature, whilst introverts may prefer individual sports or routines.

The Interactionist Approach

The Interactionist Approach suggests that behaviour is influenced by both an individual’s personality traits and the environmental context.
It implies that understanding an athlete’s personality alone is not sufficient to predict behavioural responses in a sporting context.
Sports psychologists tend to support this approach as it accounts for the complexity of human behaviour.

Sport-Specific Personality Traits

Certain personality traits have been found to correlate with sports performance, such as self-confidence, self-efficacy, competitiveness, and mental toughness.
For example, mental toughness, which includes an individual’s ability to handle pressure and maintain concentration, can significantly influence performance, particularly in high-pressure sports scenarios.

Personality Profiling

Personality profiling can help coaches understand how athletes may respond to training programs, competition stress, and team dynamics.
Various personality tests exist, like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire.
However, it’s critical to note that profiling should not be used to select or exclude athletes based on personality type alone.

Personality, Motivation and Performance

There’s a significant interplay between personality, motivation, and sports performance.
Unsurprisingly, motivated athletes are often more successful. Coaches can utilize knowledge of an athlete’s personality to motivate them effectively.
Similarly, athletes with high self-efficacy tend to set higher goals for themselves and be more successful.

Understanding the role of personality in sport can assist in predicting and managing athletes’ behaviour, thus facilitating improved performance. While personality may influence sport participation and performance, it’s the complex interplay of individual characteristics with the environment that ultimately shapes sporting behaviour.