Chapter 2:  Personality and Sport

 

A.   What is personality?

 

Characteristics that make you unique

 

B.   Internal and external determinants

 

C.   Why is personality important in sport psychology?

 

     D.   Approaches to personality

 

 

 

 

Psychodynamic Approach

 

1.    Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) developed both a theory of personality and methods for treating abnormal behaviors

 

1)    the emphasis was on biologically-based drives and instincts

 

2)    the emphasis was on early childhood experiences as determinants of adult behavior

 

3)     the emphasis was on the irrational and unconscious

 

4)     organization of personality

 

a.     id—seeks to gratify primary drives and urges (“I need);

b.     ego—rational part that seeks to gratify needs within societal demands, the ability to plan and compromise;

c.     the superego—the moral and absolute standards as interpreted by parents through introjection, the part that restrains and says “no”

 

Question:  What would an athlete be like if one of these parts of personality were dominant over others?  Do you know anyone like this?

 


Trait Approach

 

1.  Assumes that major traits determine personality

 

Behavioral Approach

 

1.    Basic concepts

 

a.     behaviors are learned through environmental interactions

b.    no attention to role of past experience or unconscious causes

c.     attention given to observable and measurable behaviors

d.     

 

Social learning or situation approach

 

1.     Assumes that behavior is determined by social environment

 

a.     modeling and observational learning;

b.       what makes an effective “model?”: similarity, competence, warmth, control of resources

 

 

Interactional Approach (B is a function of traits and environment)

 

 

 

E. Measuring Personality

 

1.    Measuring traits and states.   Assignment:  Design a measure of traits and states.

 

2.    Situation specific measures.  Specific to sports contexts. 

 

 

F.  Who can and should use psychological measures? 

 

1.     Error in tests.

 

     2.  Tests can’t be used for team selection.

 

 

3.    Confidentiality.   

 

4.    Objective and projective tests.

 

 

G.  Positive mental health and sport performance

 

1.     “iceberg profile”

 

2.     Type A behavior

 

3.      Self-concept

 

4.     Focusing and visualization

 

Question:  What types of cognitive strategies have you used? 

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