The aim of this lesson is to understand personality and individual differences between people. (Equivalent to UK A Level Physical Education).
What is Personality?
Personality can be defined in a number of ways, for example:
- The sum of an individual’s characteristics which make them unique
- The pattern of psychological characteristics that make each person unique
Measuring Personality
- Measuring and assessing individual personality traits may be useful in identifying and predicting future sporting talents from a young age
- There are, however, questions over validity and reliability as well as the time-consuming and expensive nature of such testing
The following are methods by which personality can be measured:
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
- Observation
Interviews and Questionnaires allow an element of ‘cheating’ by answering questions in such a way as to influence the outcome. During observations, the individual must be aware of the process as observations in secret are unethical. This, however, leaves the testing open to changes in the individual’s behavior as a result of being watched.
Trait Theories
A trait is:
‘A relatively stable, highly consistent attribute that exerts a widely generalised causal effect on behaviour’
The following are examples of personality traits:
- Shy
- Outgoing
- Arrogant
- Relaxed
- Temperamental
- Sensitive
……..the list goes on!
These features of an individuals personality are unconnected to the situation and are arranged in a hierarchy where some traits are more dominant than others
Eysenck’s Theory
Hans Eysenck was a German-born psychologist whose work on personality is still used today. He identified two dimensions of personality which act as continuums, with an individuals personality falling anywhere along the two lines, as shown below
These two dimensions are stable/unstable and introverted/extroverted. For example, if an individual is introverted (shy of social contact) but stable, they are likely to be reliable, calm, and controlled. An extroverted (enjoys social affiliation) unstable individual is likely to be tough, aggressive, and excitable.
Narrow Band Approach
The narrowband approach is a more straightforward approach to personality which states that every person has either a Type A or Type B personality.
Type A: Impatient; highly strung; intolerant; high-stress levels
Type B: Relaxed, tolerant; low-stress levels
Sheldon’s Somatotyping Personality Formation
This theory is based on body shape relating to personality:
Ectomorph (tall, slim figure): Self-conscious; tense; private; introverted
Endomorph (short, rounded figure): tolerant; sociable; relaxed
Mesomorph (muscular, athletic figure): extroverted, risk-taker, assertive
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory
Bandura believed that personality is learned through our experiences, observing those around us, and imitating their behaviour.
Lewin’s Interactionist Approach
Lewin’s theory states that behaviour is a combination of both inherent (built-in) personality traits and environmental factors. The following equation describes the theory:
B = F (P.E)
Behaviour is the Function of Personality and Environment
The theory also states that Personality traits can be used to predict behaviour in some situations, but this is not exclusive.
