A2 PE - Module 4 - Physical and Psychological Factors Optimising Performance

Define 'Personality' :

• "Personality is the more or less stable and enduring organizations of a person's character, temperament, intellect and physique, which determines the unique adjustment the individual makes to the environment." (Eyesenck-1995).

• "Personality is the sum total of an individual's characteristics which make him unique." (Hollander-1971).

Hollander's definition is easier to remember (and just as good), however both focus on a key factor: personality is unique to the individual. Make sure you learn them.

What are the three inter-related levels of Personality? (Hollander)

• Psychological core - Inner core; 'the real you' ; beliefs/values/attitudes/self-worth - ALL tend to be resistant to change.
• Typical Responses - Usual response (often learned); good indicator of psychological core.
• Role-Related Behaviour - Changes accordng to perception of environment; Most changeable part of our personality - it alters to suit the situation.

MAKE SURE YOU CAN DRAW THE STRUCTURE OF PERSONALITY DIAGRAM, IT WILL HELP.

Define 'Trait':

Traits are innate, enduring characteristics possessed by an individual that can be used to explain and predict behaviour in different situations.

What is 'Trait Theory'?

Trait Theory states that: Traits are inherited and will not alter with time; we react in a similar fashion, regardless of the situation. Disadvantages of trait theories in predicting personality type are:

• Personal experiences may show behaviouralpatterns changing in different situations.
• At elite level, there are no common traits, as performers display a wide range of personality types.

What are Eyesenck's Personality Dimensions?

• Extrovert/Introvert Dimesnsion - An individual will try to keep a certain level of arousal suited to them. Extroverts require more arousal/stimulation to maintain optimum attention levels. Introverts require less arousal/stimulation and extra excitement will cause over-arousal.
• Stable/Neurotic Dimension - based on emotionality/ Autonomic Nervous System to stressful situations. Stable people have a slow response to stress. Neurotic people react quickly, and are not suited to high pressure environments.
• A third dimesion was added, called Psychoticism-Intelligence. This was to show how 'tough-minded' a person could be.

1. Characteristics of an Extrovert are : sociable, outgoing, talkative, active, optimistic.
2. Characteristics of an Introvert are : quiet, passive, unsociable, reserved, careful.
3. Characteristics of a Stable individual are: calm, even-tempered, reliable, controlled, logical.
4. Characteristics of a Neurotic individual are: moody, anxious, touchy, restless, aggressive.

MAKE SURE YOU CAN DRAW EYESENCK'S CIRCULAR DIAGRAM.

Name the other important measure of personality using stable traits.

• Cattell's 16PF Questionnaire; based on stable traits (like Eyesenck), but more sophisticated.
• Personality was given 16 categories; Cattell admitted test responses would differ due to motivation, mood and situational factors.

Eyesenck and Cattell trait theories were critcised:

• too simplistic
• do not account for personality changing over time
• don't fully account for the environment and situational factors
• fail to allow for individual's actively shaping/understanding own personality
• not accurate predictior of sport preference
• limited value as a predictor of sporting success.

What is Interactionist Theory?

• Mixture of inherited traits/current situation.
• More dynamic/valid.
• Account for why behaviour changes in different situations.
• Combination of trait theory and social learning theory.
• Eqation for this approach: B = f (PE)
• B = Behavior, f = function, P = Personality, E = Environment.

If situational factors are strong, like a highly competitive match with high extrinsic reward for success, these factors may affect behaviour more than personality. If it is the opposite, like a recreational game, personality is more likely to be the dominant factor and control behaviour.

How Can I Measure Personality?

• Self-report Questionnaires - EPI, Cattells 16PF and AMI (Athletic Motivation Inventory) widely used.
• They are easy to administer/data collection is straightforward.

Despite this, there are multiple criticisms:

• Validity- there is no agreed definition for personality.
• Reliability - results may vary when test is repeated.
• Mood/Situation/Attitude affect response.
• 'Lies' are given by participants to sound more socially acceptable.
• Questions are too ambiguous/may be interpreted differently.
• Response options e.g. yes or no may be too limiting.
• The ethical values of such tests have been questionned.

Outilne Profile Of Mood States (POMS).

• Mood states are temporary and change with the situation.
• Better predictor of performance/behaviour.
• Measures: Tension, Depression, Anger, Vigour, Fatigue, Confusion.
• Vigour needs to be high for a successful performer; other mood states must be low. This known as the Iceberg Profile.
• However, it's been proven the Iceberg Profile is not required to reach elite level.

MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE TERM 'ICEBERG PROFILE'.

What Key Factors Have Emerged From This Topic?

• No clear link between personality type/success in sport.

• No clear link between personality type/choice of sport.

• Personality can be affected by the situation and environment.

• TRY TEACHING THIS TO A PEER TO SEE IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT.
• PUT TOGETHER A SMALL POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND TEACH IT TO A FRIEND.
• TRY AND APPLY THIS KNOWLEDGE TO YOUR EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES E.G. IF YOU ARE IN A GYM ON A PUNCH BAG, WHAT SORT OF PERSONALITY TYPE WOULD YOU HAVE? WHAT THEORIES WOULD YOU APPLY TO YOUR SITUATION? ETC
• OLD PRIMARY SCHOOL TIP - READ, COVER, WRITE, LOOK. READ WHAT YOU WANT, COVER IT, TRY TO WRITE IT DOWN, AND LOOK AFTER TO SEE WHAT YOU NEED TO WORK ON.
• MAKE SURE YOU CAN DRAW ALL THE DIAGRAMS ASSOCIATED WITH PERSONALITY. MOST CAN BE FOUND IN TEXTBOOKS OR VIA A GOOGLE SEARCH. EQUATIONS ARE IMPORTANT TOO!

HOPE THESE CARDS ARE A HELP FOR THE PERSONALITY TOPIC.