Week 8 – Day 3

KINESIOLOGY 122
Personality

Kinesiology 122 Image courtesy www.blog.lib.umn.edu

 Objectives
• Introduce personality and a model of
personality
• Look at differing approaches to personality
• Consider the relevance of personality to
Kinesiology

Kinesiology 122
 Personality:

Pattern of characteristic thoughts, feelings,

and behaviors that distinguish one person
from another and
persist over time and situations.

Klavora, 2009
Kinesiology 122
 Hollander’s Structure of Personality
1. The personality core
– Developed from early environmental interactions
– Includes perceptions of our selves, values, motives, etc.
– Reflection of the real you (least likely to change)
2. Typical responses
– Our predictable behaviours
• how we usually respond to the environment
– Typical responses are learned and stored
3. Role-related behaviours
– Variable behaviours
• influenced by our perception of the changing context
– Not “typical”; can be uncharacteristic

Kinesiology 122 Hollander, 1967

 Hollander’s Structure of Personality

Personality
Core

Typical
Responses

Role-related
behaviours

Kinesiology 122 Hollander, 1967

 Individual Task
• How would you describe your personality?
– Write down at least 5 words/descriptions

Kinesiology 122
 Approaches to the Study of Personality

1. Biological theories
– Emphasis is on the person
2. Trait theories
– Emphasis is on the person
3. Interactionist theories
– Emphasis is on the interaction between the
person and environment

Kinesiology 122
Approaches to the Study of Personality
1. Biological theories
• Links personality with biological processes
• Emphasizes the person; mind-body
connection
• E.g., Sheldon’s Constitutional Theory
• Certain somatotypes predispose individuals
toward behavioural consistency

Kinesiology 122 Lox et al., 2003; Sheldon, 1942

 Where do
Sheldon’s Constitutional Theory you fit in?
• Ectomorph • Endomorph • Mesomorph
– Linear – Plumpness – Inverted triangle
– Tall – Roundness shape
– lean – Athletic body

• Cerebrotonia • Viscerotonia • Somatotonic

personality personality personality
• (i.e., tense, introvert, • (i.e., affection, • (i.e., adventurous,
inhibited, socially sociable, relaxed, risk-taking, take
restrained) cheerful) charge, aggressive)
Kinesiology 122 Sheldon, 1942
 Approaches to the Study of Personality
1. Biological theories
• Links personality with biological processes
• Emphasizes the person; mind-body connection
• E.g., Sheldon’s Constitutional Theory
– Certain somatotypes predispose individuals toward behavioural
consistency
– Originally, strong relationships (correlations .7 or higher) between
body types and associated personality characteristics

– More recent research shows small to

moderate relationships (.3-.4)

Kinesiology 122 Lox et al., 2003; Sheldon, 1942

 _______ is enthusiastic, positive, and sociable
Based on these characteristics, which somatotype and
personality type would ______ be classified as having,
according to Sheldon’s Constitutional Theory?

1. Mesomorph; Cerebrotonia
2. Mesomorph; Somatotonic
3. Endomorph; Cerebrotonia
4. Endomorph; Viscerotonia
5. Ectomorph; Somatotonic
6. Ectomorph; Viscerotonia

Kinesiology 122
 2. Trait Theories
Approaches to personality that centre on the
examination of traits are referred to as trait theories:

Traits:
- cause you to act in a certain way
- believed to be inherited since birth

Personality traits = relatively stable, highly consistent

internal attribute (stable and enduring across all situations)

Kinesiology 122
 Approaches to the Study of Personality

The Big Five: all people can be described

in terms of the prevalence of 5 global factors
• Openness to experience = being curious and open-
minded
• Conscientiousness = being determined, strong-willed,
self-disciplined
• Extraversion = having an energetic approach to the
world
• Agreeableness = compliance; positive approach toward
others
• Neuroticism = feelings of tension and nervousness

Kinesiology 122 Digman, 1990; Lox et al., 2003; Sedgwick et al., 2011
 What does this have to do with Kinesiology?
• Much of the sport psychology research in 1960’s and 1970’s
examined if:
– Sporting performance could be predicted by trait personality
– Athletes had different personalities than non-athletes
– Personality could predict sport selection
• …little evidence for any of these areas!

Kinesiology 122 Sedwick et al., 2011

What does this have to do with Kinesiology?
• Personality research in sport and exercise psychology
examines:
– Risk taking and sensation seeking
• Associated with extraversion and conscientiousness
– Competitiveness
• Males usually higher than females
• Important for elite athletes
– Perfectionism
• Adaptive (associated with conscientiousness) versus
maladaptive
– Mental toughness
• Associated with success
– Exercise behaviour
• Associated with extraversion and conscientiousness
Kinesiology 122 Sedgwick et al., 2011
 Personality Traits vs. States

• Personality traits: psychological

characteristics of the athlete that remain
relatively stable over time

• Personality states: “right now kinds of

feelings” that are situation specific
(like role-related behaviours)

Kinesiology 122 Klavora., 2009

 • It is NOT yet possible to distinguish
between successful and unsuccessful
athletes using personality traits

• However, it is possible to distinguish

between the elite athletes and the lesser
skilled in terms of mood states

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Kinesiology 122 Klavora., 2009
 Mood States of
Elite vs. Nonelite Athletes
Elite athletes are below in these mood states:
– Tension
– Depression
– Anger
– Fatigue
– Confusion

• And are markedly higher in:

– Vigor: possessing physical strength, emotional energy, and
cognitive liveliness

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Kinesiology 122 Klavora., 2009
 Iceberg Profile
• This mood state profile resembles an iceberg and is
therefore often referred to as the iceberg profile
65
60
55
T-SCORE

50
45
40
35 Successful Athletes
Unsuccessful Athletes
30
Tension Depression Anxiety Vigor Fatigue Confusion

PROFILE OF MOOD STATES

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Kinesiology 122 Klavora., 2009
 You Should be Able to:
• Illustrate: Hollander’s structure of personality
• Discuss: The association between biology and
personality (E.g., Sheldon’s Constitutional
Theory)
• Discuss the Big Five personality theory
• Explain: The relevance of personality to
Kinesiology
• Discus how personality states can affect
performance
Kinesiology 122