Introduction
What is personality?
How does it affect sports performance?
What is motivation?
How does it affect sports performance?
What is stress and anxiety?
What are the causes and symptoms?
How do these affect sports performance?
Explanation of the effects of personality and motivation on sports performance
Evaluation of the effects of personality and motivation on sports performance
Conclusion
Bibliography
,Introduction
In this assignment I will explore the effects of personality, motivation, stress and anxiety on sports
performance. Firstly, I will start be defining personality and begin to look into and describe how this may affect
an individual’s sporting performance. I will then do the same for both motivation and stress and anxiety.
Following this, I will explain the effects of personality and motivation on someone’s sports performance in
more detail. I will then look into this even further and evaluate how these factors affect an individual’s
performance; using real life examples and research to back up my findings.
Personality
There are various definitions of what ‘personality’ is, the most common being a combination of the
characteristic patterns of a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make them unique. It is also said
that personality develops within and depends on the individual and remains somewhat similar throughout that
person’s lifetime. (verywellmind.2019)
In my opinion, personality is a person’s overall character that cannot be changed or altered. I also think that
personality forms as a result of someone’s genetics and the environment in which they grow up in and the
situations that they are exposed to.
Theories on personality
Marten’s schematic view
Marten's views personality as having three layers that a person must process, in order to find their
personality.
Image taken from: https://www.google.com/url?
sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi68qf1jO7kAhVMKBoKHckfBXUQjB16BAgBEAM&url=http%3A
%2F%2Fellierobinson29.blogspot.com%2F&psig=AOvVaw1LPomMtHoLBZHfXpKBWl96&ust=1569573991252262
, Layer 1 – ‘Psychological Core’ is the deepest level of an individual’s personality make up. This level is central to
a person's overall personality and is made up of factors such as values, beliefs, self-worth and attitudes
towards fundamental issues in life. Therefore, this layer is viewed as "your true self". Marten's view states that
this component is constant (not going to change) and internal (not seen by everyone).
A sporting example of this may be a rugby player who always get frustrated and shouts after being
intentionally fouled in rugby because they feel that deliberate fouls are un-sporting behaviour; but they may
be more reserved and shyer when meeting people for the first time because they don’t want to intimidate or
scare them. This example shows this individual’s typical response to these situations (sporting and non-
sporting) and could be seen as positive displays of their psychological core.
Layer 2 – ‘Standard Response’ is the second stage in Marten's personality table and recognises how people
normally respond to situations in life and adapt to the environment they are surrounded in. The Standard
Responses can help highlight and reflect a person's psychological core; however, this is only a suggestion as
the social environment can alter a person's response to a situation.
A sporting example of this would be a mixed martial artist who is very loud and aggressive during training and
match scenarios, but is massively introverted during daily life and struggles when placed in social situations
outside of their sport. This example shows how a sporting individual’s responses to situations can adapt and
change based on the environment that they are placed in.
Layer 3 – ‘Situation Related Behaviour’ is the ficklest layer of an individual's personality. This level identifies
how people adapt their behaviour to fit in to specific situation. As humans, we have the ability to adapt our
personalities to suit a specific scenario
A sporting example: An individual might be the captain of their sports team which means that for that
particular role they are required to take charge and display a lot of leadership qualities and behaviour; but
then they might also have a job where they are an employee and has to follow instructions given to them by
someone who has a higher working position in the company. This example shows how this individual can alter
their behaviour to suit their situation and the role they expected to fulfil within it.
Psychodynamic theory
The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon
the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different
structures of the personality.
The psychodynamic theory states that personality is made up of three parts : the id, ego, and super-ego:
Id (INSTINCTIVE DRIVE) The first part is called the ‘id’ which stands for instinctive drive. This is the part of an
individual’s personality that is completely unconscious and makes you do things without even thinking about it
or having any control over them.
What is personality?
How does it affect sports performance?
What is motivation?
How does it affect sports performance?
What is stress and anxiety?
What are the causes and symptoms?
How do these affect sports performance?
Explanation of the effects of personality and motivation on sports performance
Evaluation of the effects of personality and motivation on sports performance
Conclusion
Bibliography
,Introduction
In this assignment I will explore the effects of personality, motivation, stress and anxiety on sports
performance. Firstly, I will start be defining personality and begin to look into and describe how this may affect
an individual’s sporting performance. I will then do the same for both motivation and stress and anxiety.
Following this, I will explain the effects of personality and motivation on someone’s sports performance in
more detail. I will then look into this even further and evaluate how these factors affect an individual’s
performance; using real life examples and research to back up my findings.
Personality
There are various definitions of what ‘personality’ is, the most common being a combination of the
characteristic patterns of a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours that make them unique. It is also said
that personality develops within and depends on the individual and remains somewhat similar throughout that
person’s lifetime. (verywellmind.2019)
In my opinion, personality is a person’s overall character that cannot be changed or altered. I also think that
personality forms as a result of someone’s genetics and the environment in which they grow up in and the
situations that they are exposed to.
Theories on personality
Marten’s schematic view
Marten's views personality as having three layers that a person must process, in order to find their
personality.
Image taken from: https://www.google.com/url?
sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi68qf1jO7kAhVMKBoKHckfBXUQjB16BAgBEAM&url=http%3A
%2F%2Fellierobinson29.blogspot.com%2F&psig=AOvVaw1LPomMtHoLBZHfXpKBWl96&ust=1569573991252262
, Layer 1 – ‘Psychological Core’ is the deepest level of an individual’s personality make up. This level is central to
a person's overall personality and is made up of factors such as values, beliefs, self-worth and attitudes
towards fundamental issues in life. Therefore, this layer is viewed as "your true self". Marten's view states that
this component is constant (not going to change) and internal (not seen by everyone).
A sporting example of this may be a rugby player who always get frustrated and shouts after being
intentionally fouled in rugby because they feel that deliberate fouls are un-sporting behaviour; but they may
be more reserved and shyer when meeting people for the first time because they don’t want to intimidate or
scare them. This example shows this individual’s typical response to these situations (sporting and non-
sporting) and could be seen as positive displays of their psychological core.
Layer 2 – ‘Standard Response’ is the second stage in Marten's personality table and recognises how people
normally respond to situations in life and adapt to the environment they are surrounded in. The Standard
Responses can help highlight and reflect a person's psychological core; however, this is only a suggestion as
the social environment can alter a person's response to a situation.
A sporting example of this would be a mixed martial artist who is very loud and aggressive during training and
match scenarios, but is massively introverted during daily life and struggles when placed in social situations
outside of their sport. This example shows how a sporting individual’s responses to situations can adapt and
change based on the environment that they are placed in.
Layer 3 – ‘Situation Related Behaviour’ is the ficklest layer of an individual's personality. This level identifies
how people adapt their behaviour to fit in to specific situation. As humans, we have the ability to adapt our
personalities to suit a specific scenario
A sporting example: An individual might be the captain of their sports team which means that for that
particular role they are required to take charge and display a lot of leadership qualities and behaviour; but
then they might also have a job where they are an employee and has to follow instructions given to them by
someone who has a higher working position in the company. This example shows how this individual can alter
their behaviour to suit their situation and the role they expected to fulfil within it.
Psychodynamic theory
The psychodynamic approach includes all the theories in psychology that see human functioning based upon
the interaction of drives and forces within the person, particularly unconscious, and between the different
structures of the personality.
The psychodynamic theory states that personality is made up of three parts : the id, ego, and super-ego:
Id (INSTINCTIVE DRIVE) The first part is called the ‘id’ which stands for instinctive drive. This is the part of an
individual’s personality that is completely unconscious and makes you do things without even thinking about it
or having any control over them.
