Abstract

The main aim of this study was to explore how personality influences performance in sports. Personality type is one of the key issues as concerns athletes’ performance during sporting competitions, but the problem the researcher noticed was that, athletes from different sporting disciplines such as, football, handball, basketball, judo, athletics, Paralympics and wrestling choose sports that do not match with their personality types. The researcher adopted theories such as the temperament theory, the trait, the interactional approach theory and the social learning theory. These theories expressed different personality types of students in particular sports disciplines, how the different personality types can be identified with a standardised tool such as “the Keirsey Temperament Sorter”, and how these different personality types of students affect their performances in sports laying emphasis on the sustainability of acquired skills for the benefit of anybody that acquires it. The researcher adopted a method of data collection using the survey design. Also this study was carried out in some higher institutions in the Buea Municipality. A sample population of 166 was chosen for the study and a proportionate as well as a purposive sampling technique was used.  The instrument used for data collection was the questionnaire. The findings reveal that ten different personality types of students were identified; the majority was extroverted while only two were introverted and six had a mixed personality type and most of the extroverted students – ESTJ rated their performances as good, very good or excellent. While the two introverted personality types – ISTJ and ISFJ rated their performance high. Based on the findings it was therefore recommended that, Sports authorities and coaches should devote time to select athletes when preparing for the University Games based on the students personality while taking into consideration the individual personality trait. Again, course syllabuses for coaches should be reviewed regularly so as to reflect current needs and demands of students taking part in sporting competitions.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Introduction

This chapter introduces the entire study with the background to study, statement of the problem, research objectives, research questions, significance of the study, delimitation of the study and operational definition of terms.

Background to the Study    

Personality and Performance in Sports have been of interest to Sports Psychologists and Researchers since the 1800s (BTEC’S own resources). However, evidence on whether personality affects sports is still fairly limited and inconclusive. Also, Mirzaei, Nikbahsh & Sharififar (2013) support the view that, psychological characteristics differ between individual athletes and teams. They went further say that, the ability to mentally prepare is considered a key component of such differences and that, the importance of personality as a predictor of behaviour performance has been recognised in psychology and researchers have recently reported the significant effects of personality on sports. This notwithstanding, when athletes participate in competitive sports, their underlying personality characteristics inevitably contribute to how they behave.

According to Mirzaei, Nikbahsh & Sharififar (2013), personality is defined as ‘psychological qualities that contribute to an individual’s enduring and distinctive patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaving’. BTEC’s Level 3 National Sports Student Book defines personality as the sum of the characteristics that make a person unique. Hollander (2012) defined personality as the sum total of an individual’s characteristics which makes a human unique’’. Also, ‘’personality represents those characteristics of the person that account for consistent patterns of behaviour’’ (Pervin, 1993). A program that includes Sports Performance, training has to be developed specifically for that sport.

Moreover, considering that people are distinct in behaviour, the different personality traits tend to influence what people can do. Introverts tend to be quiet and thoughtful. While extroverts are people who are more loud and excitable. Singer, Hausenblas and Janelle (2001), see personality as a source of moderator variable and the search for their effects on sports has largely been misplaced. Due to the fact that personality appears to have indirect rather than direct effect, gives the impression that introverted persons will find themselves in individual sports such as Athletics, Table Tennis, Wrestling and Judo while the extroverted persons will find themselves in team sports such as football, Handball and Basketball.

Historically, since the first Olympic Games performed in Greece in 776 B.C, Sports has been an essential aspect of nearly every society (Brasch, 1970). On the other hand, Psychology, since its official beginning in 1879 with Wundt’s Laboratory in Leipzig, has occupied a prominent place globally and has profoundly influenced fields such as sports and physical activity (Singer, et. al 2001).Furthermore, the first studies related to Sports Psychology in North America date back to the late 1800s and the early 1900s and were conducted by Norman Triplett and Coleman R. Griffith (Van, Raalt & Brewer, 2002). However, Sports Psychology as a field of academic research did not emerge until the late 1960s where it expanded and focused on personality approach and the interactional model.

From 1895- 1920, Norman Tripplett carried out Laboratory studies of social influence on performance. A psychologist at Indiana University Studied how the presence of others affects individual ability and execution (Cox et al., 1993). In the 1970s, attempts by the Scientific Community to explore psychological dimensions of athletic performance were limited. They were generally piecemeal, lacked a solid theoretical basis and were not part of any sustained investigative efforts. At the same time Sports Psychology progressively consolidated itself as an independent discipline within the Sports Sciences in North America (Van, Raalt & Brewer, 2002). In addition, during the 1960s, as Ogilvie and Tutkos’ work shows, there had been a clear interest in personality and sports performance research. The majority of psychologists still believe that personality characteristics were the main factor influencing athletic performance (Williams & Straub, 1998). More so, in 1977, Schurr, Ashley and Joy explain that researchers analysed personality differences between athletes and non-athletes and between team sports players and individual sports players. It showed that personality is a determinant factor in both performance and choice of sports (Russel & Jarvis, 2003).

Theoretically, personality and performance in Sports is very interesting and so it cannot be mentioned or discussed without some theories involved. According to BTEC’s own resources, there are a number of theories and approaches that have been suggested to explain personality and how it can influence Sports Performance. The theories used for this study include: The Temperament Theory; The Trait Theory; The Interactional Approach Theory and Social Learning Theory.

 Behavioural Theories of Personality argue that our behaviours are reflections of our personality and researchers have recently reported the significant effects of personality on sports. When athletes participate in competitive sports, their underlying personality characteristics inevitably contribute to how they behave. Behaviourists such as Skinner and Rotter have formulated their respective theories. According to Skinner, our differences in reasoning are the main causes of our individual differences in our behaviour. Our different patterns of behaviour are demonstrated directly (reward as positive reinforcement of good behaviour or punishment as a negative reinforcement of bad behaviour) or indirectly through observational learning or modelling.

In the 1880s, Rotter in his theory of personality argue that, personality is a representation of the contact between the person and the environment. Rotter believes that personality is a set of potentials that man uses to respond in certain circumstances and that his personality traits also change according to that specific situation. Rotter went further to say that, humans do not just behave to avoid punishment: rather, we are motivated to act by our life goals and our visions to maximise the rewards we would receive. He concluded by saying that personality and behaviour are no doubt connected with each other. Interest in the concept of personality can be traced back to the time of ancient Greeks when Hippocrates described behaviour in terms of temperaments – choleric, phlegmatic, melancholic and sanguine. In the early 20th Century renewed interest in personality led to different classifications of personality. For example, Cattell, (1957) proposed sixteen primary personality dimensions. He developed a personality inventory based on factor analysis of 171 traits. Other investigators: feeling that 16 personality factors were too many, proposed the Big Five System of Human personality -0 Extraversion or introversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness and openness to experience. Eynseck (1916 – 1997) proposed a two – dimensional classification of personality – neuroticism/ emotional stability and extroversion/ introversion. Eynseck’s two – dimensional classification of personality is very relevant to this study as it was used to identify the personality types of students engaged in sports. More will be said in chapter two.

Contextually, Personality and Performance in sports is a very big issue in our world of today which needs to be carefully handled. In Cameroon, according to the General Report on the General Conference on Sports and Physical Education (2010) it was acknowledged that the country had registered insufficient performances both in collective (team) and individual sports for about a decade due to numerous recurrent crises amongst the various institutions managing physical education and sports activities. The President of the Republic of Cameroon (H.E. Paul BIYA) instructed the Minister of Sports and Physical Education on the 29 of August 2008 to organize the General Conference on Sports and Physical Education. Consequently, the Minister of Sports and Physical Education effectively organized on 18-20 November 2010 in Yaoundé, the General Conference on Sports and Physical Education with the ultimate goal of boasting national sports movement and fostering social cohesion which included personality and performance in sports through physical and sporting activities. Moreover, according to Law No.4/26 part 4 of the Constitution of January 1996 to amend the Constitution of 2 June 1972, “the duties and obligations of the citizen in respect of national defence requirement” which includes sports performances.

In addition, going by our African context, according to International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences; article 1(3) (2013), says personality is one of the distinctive aspects of every individual’s life and personality characteristics predispose an individual to perform various actions in specific situations. A study was carried out on the relationship between personality and performance of football referees. The study examined the relationship between extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness to experience and performance of referees. The correlation method was used for this research. The Results showed that there was a significant relationship between personality dimensions and judgement methods.

Statement of the problem

The main aim of the study was to explore how personality influences performance in sports. From the researcher’s personal experience as an athlete who participated several times during the University Games, she realised that very often athletes participating during such competitions take into consideration many factors such as external motivation like participation bonuses. Unfortunately, they leave out their personality type which is one of the underlying factors that determines their performance during these sporting competitions. As a consequence, athletes from different sporting disciplines go as far as choosing sports that do not match with their personality types and this in turn often affects their sports performance negatively. This has motivated the researcher to explore the different ways personality influences the performance of students engaged in sports.

Research Objectives

Main objective

The research was to explore how students’ personality influences their performance in sports

Specific objectives

Specifically, the study was:

1. To find out the various personality types of students engaged in particular sports
2. To find out why students choose particular sports
3. To examine the relationship between students’ personality and choice of sports
4. To investigate how personality influences performance in sports