Describe theories relating to personality and how they affect sports performance. Evaluate critically, personality profiling in sport free essay sample

There are varying theories relating to personality, with each theory giving a different viewpoint on how personality affects sporting performance. One of these theories is the Trait Theory (Eysenck) which originally stated that there were only two personality types (introvert and extrovert) but over time realised that this limited the theory and introduced two more personality traits (stable and neurotic). Each one of these personality types has its own unique affect on a sports performance. An introvert for example is seen to be shy and tends to choose a solo sport, and this sport is likely to be one that contains small muscle movements such as darts. This personality trait would affect sporting performance if the performer was performing in a team game, the lack of confidence may put them off their game or they may not even get involved. Extroverts on the other hand tend to be confident and are most often found within team games, this trait can also lead to hot headedness and therefore deteriorate their performance in sport as they are no longer concentrated on the task at hand. We will write a custom essay sample on Describe theories relating to personality and how they affect sports performance. Evaluate critically, personality profiling in sport or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This can also be said when they have to partake in a sport that involves small muscle movements (as extroverts tend to sway towards the use of large muscle movements) if they’re unable to perform the task at hand they may become aggressive and thus their performance will decrease. One further trait Eysenck indentified was a stable performer; a stable performer tends to be more laid back and has an even temper. In a performance situation this could lead to either laziness or complacency, with their mind wandering off task. The final personality trait Eysenck identified is a neurotic performer; a neurotic performer tends to get anxious more easily then the other personality traits and is highly aroused during sport. This trait in a sporting performance can lead to aggression (due to the high level of arousal) and even poor performance if the anxiousness overwhelms the performer. An opposing theory is the Social learning theory (Bandura). The social learning theory states that all behavior is learned by way of environmental experiences and through the influence of other people (role models). This theory can lead to both positive and negative affects on a sports performance. For example a sports performer who watches a more experienced player may copy the approach taken by the more experienced player possibly leading to an eventual improvement in his or her own level of skill. This can also be spun on its head though, if a performer is watching (football for example) and witnesses a player successfully dive this might cause the performer to try and replicate this negative action leading to a decline in performance. One final theory relating to personality is the interactionist theory; this theory states that personality has three levels that interact to form an individual’s personality and is based on the work of Hollander (1967). This theory describes how a person’s typical responses change according to varying environmental situations, therefore meaning behaviour becomes unpredictable. This theory also explains why a performers personality can change depending on the situation they’re placed in. When combined with Eysenck’s trait theory this becomes easier to explain how personality affects sports performance. An example of this would be that a person in day to day life could be seen as introverted, but when they partake in sport their traits can change and they can become and extrovert based on the situation they are place in e. g. a football match. This personality change can also have a negative affect upon a sporting performance; if the personality change is the ‘wrong’ type of change (say the performer becomes very aggressive very quickly) then their performance can vary wildly leading to inconsistency. Personality profiling in sport can have benefits in finding the correct sportsman/woman to fit a sport leading to them possibly excelling in said sport. For example if (after taking Eysenck’s Personality Questionnaire-EPQ) it gave you a specific sport that you would excel in due to you having the correct personality traits it could lead to you having both a passion for the sport and then in tern performing very well in the sport possibly leading you to the elite standard. On the other hand though, the EPQ may lead to a performer not trying other sports as they have been told their personality doesn’t match the sport. As the EPQ doesn’t take into account Hollander’s interactionist approach it can be flawed. Without taking into account a personalities ability to change it becomes impossible to categorise a person’s personality.