PERSONALITY

Mark Dandan David Jingco

Personality
Is the sum of the characteristics that make a person unique. The study of personality helps us work better with students, athletes, and exercisers.

Structures of Personality
Psychological Core
Typical Response Role-related Behavior

Psychological Core
Basic level of personality Includes your attitudes, values, interests, motives, and beliefs about yourself and self worth. Centerpiece of your personality real you

Typical Responses
Ways we learn to adjust to the environment. How we usually respond to the world around us. Often good indicators of your psychological core. (given that your typical responses are consistent in the given situation)

Role-Related Behavior
How you act based on what your social situation is to be.
Most changeable aspect of personality Behavior changes as your perceptions of environment change.

5 Viewpoints of Personality in Sport & Exercise

Psychodynamic Approach Trait Approach Situation Approach Interactional Approach Phenomenological Approach

Psychodynamic Approach
Places emphasis on unconscious determinants of behavior.
Id (instinctive drives) Edo (conscious personality) Superego (moral conscience)

Understanding the person as a whole rather than identifying isolated traits or dispositions. Focuses almost entirely on internal determinants of behavior, giving little attention to the social

Trait Approach
Causes of behavior generally reside within the person and that the role of situational and environmental factors are minimal Traits are considered to predispose a person to act a certain way, regardless of the situation or circumstances.

Situation Approach
Argues that behavior is determined largely by situation or environment.
If the influence of the environment is strong enough the effect of personality traits will be minimal.

Interactional Approach
Considers the situation and the person as codeterminants of behavior. Situations alone are not enough to predict behavior accurately. An individuals personality traits must also be considered. Most contemporary sport psychologist adopt this approach.

Phenomenological Approach

Most popular orientation taken today. Similar to the interactional approach which combines situations and personal traits. However, instead of focusing on fixed traits as the primary determinants of behavior, the psychologist examines the persons understanding and

PSYCHOLOGICAL TEST

MEASURING PERSONALITY
When research is conducted appropriately, it can shed considerable light on how personality affects behavior in sport and exercise setting.
Psychodynamic Situation Trait Interactional Phenomenological

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Trait & State Measures

Psychological Traits (individuals typical style of behaving) Pychological State (situational effect on behavior)

Situation Specific Measures

Predict behavior more reliably for given situations because they consider both the personality of the participant and the specific situation(interactional approach)

Sport Specific Measures

Predict behavior better than general personality tests.

Using Psychological Measures

Knowledge of personality is critical to a coach, teacher, or exercise leader. Bear in mind, however, that psychological inventories alone cannot predict athletic success Tests must be interpreted by highly trained proffessionals is psychological assessment. It must not be the basis for team

Take An Intra-Individual Approach

How athletes are feeling relative to how they usually feel. Helps them perform better and enjoy the experience more, relative to their own standards and not those of others.

Understand and Asses Specific Personality Components Getting a clear understanding of the components of personality provides a good perspective for using and interpreting psych tests. Sports psychs usually asses personality in sport by looking at responses invoked in the situation they are in.

Focusing on Personality Research

Divided into 2 camps: One believed that personality is closely related to athletic success; the other camp says that personality is not related to athletic success. Neither viewpoints were proven to be correct.

Athletes and NonAthletes

It is not easy to define an athlete AMBIGIOUS No specific profile has been found that distinguishes an athlete from a non-athlete

Female Athletes
More achievement oriented, assertive, independent, aggressive and emotionally stable. Outstanding athletes have the same characteristics, regardless of being a male or a female.

Positive Mental Health and the Iceberg Profile

Mental Health Model successful athletes exhibit greater mental health than less successful exhibit. Iceberg Profile used to reflect positive mental health of an individual.

Performance Predictions
More successful athletes exhibit the iceberg profile and more positive mental health. Tests can help identify an athletes psychological strengths and weaknesses. The information gathered can be useful to develop appropriate training in psych skills.

 Type A Behavior -- Strong sense of urgency, excess of competitive drive, easily aroused hostility. Self Concept Exercise and increased levels of fitness appear to be associated with increases in self-esteem, especially in individuals with low self-esteem.

Exercise and Personality

Examining Cognitive Strategies and Success

Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI)
Coping with adversity Peaking under pressure Goal setting and mental preparation Concentration Freedom from worry Confidence and achievement motivation

In-Depth Interview Techniques

Probes the coping strategies that athletes use before and during competition. Gives a more in-depth personality profile of an athlete.

Mental Plans
Helps athletes come prepared mentally not only to perform but also to handle distractions and unforeseen events, before and during competition. Allows them to feel more in control, regardless of situational influences.

Identifying Your Role In Understanding Personality

Consider both personality traits and situations Be an informed consumer Be a good communicator Be a good observer Be knowledgeable in mental strategies