This document discusses psychological aspects that can optimize sports performance, focusing on personality. It defines personality and examines three main personality theories: 1. The trait approach proposes that personality is made up of stable traits. Eysenck and Cattell developed questionnaires to measure traits like introversion/extroversion. 2. The situational approach emphasizes the role of environment and learning from models/reinforcement. Bandura's social learning theory examined how behavior is learned through observation and consequences. 3. The interactional approach views personality and environment as interacting to determine behavior. Hollander proposed behavior results from an interaction between inherent personality and environmental factors.

1. Section B –
Psychological aspects that optimise
performance
Aspects of Personality
Lesson 1

2. Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson you will be able to:
• define personality
• explain and evaluate the 3 main theories of
personality
• explain how performance and behaviour of
sports performers may be affected by their
personalities

3. What is Personality?
• Use 5 words to describe yourself.
• How did you get your personality?
• Does your personality effect the way you
behave?
• Does your personality effect the
sport/position that you play?

4. Is there a winning personality?
Athletics Men's 100m Final Full Replay - London
2012 Olympic Games - Usain Bolt – YouTube
Play at 3:10
Play at 5:00
Play at 9:18

5. Definitions
Personality is the sum total of an individuals
characteristics which make him or her unique.
(Gill, 1997)
Personality is the underlying relatively stable
psychological structures and processes that
organise human experiences and shape a person’s
actions and reactions to the environment.
(Lazarus and Mowat, 1979)

6. Personality Theories
• The Trait Approach (Eysenck, Cattell)
• The Situational Approach (Bandura)
• The Interactional Approach (Hollander)

7. The Trait Approach
Traits
Relatively stable and enduring characteristics which
could be used to predict our behaviour in a variety
of situations.
• we all have these traits but to limiting degrees
• they are long lasting and stable
• they are frequently evident in our behaviour
• they enable us to predict a person’s behaviour
• emphasises the person and not the situation

8. Identifying Personality Traits:

9. Identifying Personality Traits:
Aggressive Careful
Impulsive
Calm
Carefree
Active
Leader
Moody
Reserved Thoughtful Outgoing

10. Eysenck’s Trait Theory
Eysenck believed that personality
was inherited through
characteristics/traits.
He devised a Personality
Questionnaire (1975) and a
Personality Inventory (EPI, 1964) in
an attempt to measure these
characteristics.
He identified 2 major dimensions:
Introvert – Extrovert
Neurotic – Stable

11. Examples from Eysenck’s
•
Questionnaire
Does your mood often go up and down?
• Are you a talkative person?
• Would being in debt worry you?
• Are you rather lively?
• Were you ever greedy by helping yourself to more than your share of anything?
• Would you take drugs which may have strange or dangerous effects?
• Have you ever blamed someone for doing something you knew was really your fault?
• Do you always practice what you preach?
• Do you prefer to go your own way rather than act by the rules?
• Do you often feel ‘fed-up’?
• Have you ever taken anything (even a pin or button) that belonged to someone else?
• Would you call yourself a nervous person?
• Do you think marriage is old-fashioned and should be done away with?
• Can you easily get some life into a rather dull party?
•
•
Are you a worrier?
Do you tend to keep in the background on social occasions?
A reliable test?
• Does it worry you if you know there are mistakes in your work?
• Have you ever cheated at a game?
• Do you suffer from ‘nerves’? What are the
• Have you ever taken advantage of someone?
• Are you mostly quiet when you are with other people? limitations?

12. He concluded that
most people are
not found at the
extremes of the 2
dimensions but
somewhere in the
middle.
He calculated that
75% was a genetic
influence and 25%
was
environmental
influence i.e. it is
difficult to change
or modify these
personality traits.

13. Eysenck and Sport
What claims do you think he made about Introverts
and Extroverts?
……………. are more likely to take part in sport
……………. cope better in competitive and
stressful situations
……………. cope better with distractions
(audience, noise)
……………. cope better with pain
……………. are more likely to be distance runners
……………. are more likely to be games players

14. Eysenck and Sport
What claims do you think he made about Introverts
and Extroverts?
Extroverts are more likely to take part in sport
Extroverts cope better in competitive and
stressful situations
Extroverts cope better with distractions
(audience, noise)
Extroverts cope better with pain
Introverts are more likely to be distance runners
Extroverts are more likely to be games players

15. Cattell’s Trait Theory
Cattell also adopted a trait
approach to personality but
believed that more than 2 or
3 dimensions were needed
to create a whole picture of
personality.
He developed a personality
profile that measured 16
personality factors (16PF
Questionnaire, 1965).

16. Cattell's 16 Factors of
Personality
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
reserved - - - - - - - outgoing
less intelligent more intelligent
affected by feelings emotionally stable
submissive dominant
serious happy-go-lucky
expedient conscientious
timid venturesome
tough-minded sensitive
trusting suspicious
practical imaginative
forthright shrewd
self-assured apprehensive
conservative experimenting
group dependent self-sufficient
uncontrolled controlled
relaxed tense
How would you score?

17. Evaluation of Trait Theories
• Cattell realised that personality was more
dynamic than Eysenck had suggested and could
fluctuate according to the situation.
However:
• too simplistic
• trait theories do not take into account the
nurture or personal development of an athlete
• they are an unreliable predictor of behaviour
• they do not take into account the environment or
situation

18. The Situational Approach
(Social Learning Theory)
• Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory – YouTube
Personality is built up out of our experiences of
the social world.
(Bandura, 1977)

19. Bandura’s Situational
Approach
Bandura believes that we learn
through 2 different types of
experience – modelling and
reinforcement.
As we grow up we observe what
other people do and imitate it
(modelling).
If we are rewarded (reinforcement)
when we do something, we are
likely to do it again.

20. The 4 Stages of
Observational Learning
Attention
Retention
Motor Reproduction
Motivational Response

21. Sporting Examples
A 10 year old boy is keen on tennis. He is sat watching the men’s Wimbledon finals. Both
players become models for the boy because he sees them as powerful (well-known, on TV) and
similar to him (male and tennis players). One player has lost the first 2 sets and is behind in the
3rd. The boy pays particular attention to the losing player because he knows what it is like to be
in a losing situation.
He notices how the player closes his eyes and
Attention seems relaxed. His stance shows confidence
and he bounces the ball twice before he serves
to win with an ace serve.
He remembers how the player closes his eyes
Retention and seems relaxed and confident. He associates
this with the player winning.
The next time the boy is in a losing situation –
Motor Reproduction he imitates the behaviour – eyes
closed, confident stance, bouncing the ball
twice.
If he feels more confident and improves his
Motivational Response game, this rewards his behaviour and makes
him more likely to repeat it.

22. Evaluation of Situational
Theories
• Bandura realised that a performer may appear
confident/aggressive in a specific situation but
may appear very differently in another
environment .
However:
• criticised for going too far in the opposite
direction of the trait theories.
• still an unreliable predictor of behaviour

23. The Interactional Approach
Hollander’s theory states that behaviour is a
combination of both inherent (built-in)
personality traits and environmental factors
through this equation:
B = F (P.E)
Behaviour is the Function of Personality and
Environment

24. Hollander’s Model, 1971
Psychological Core
Typical Responses
Role Related
Behaviours
Social
Environment

25. Hollander’s Model
• 1 : The Psychological Core:
– the ‘real you’ – attitudes and values, self concept
– private, relatively permanent
• 2 : Typical Responses:
– usual way we respond to the environment
– learned & stored experience
– responses may indicate the nature of the core.
• 3 : Role-related behaviour:
– determined by our perception of the environment
– can be changed at any time depending on situation
– action may not be a typical response but uncharacteristic action

26. Overview
• The Interactional approach suggests that we base
behaviour on inherent traits that we then adapt to the
situation we are in.
• It takes into account personal factors, the situation in which
the behaviour occurs and the interaction of these 2 factors.
• A games player might be loud, extrovert & dominant
manner in the game because that is the best way to
succeed, but would be more quiet & focused when in a
training session designed to improve individual technique.

27. Review of Learning Outcomes:
You should be able to:
• define personality
• evaluate the Trait Approach
• evaluate the Situational Approach
• evaluate to Interactional Approach
• explain how performance and behaviour of
sports performers may be affected by their
personalities

28. Home Learning
Take an online personality test – how can we
make an accurate measure of someone’s
personality?
Exam Style Questions

29. Who would be your sports personality
of the year 2012?
Smithy at Sports Personality of the Year - BBC
Sport Relief Night 2010 - YouTube