Part 6: Issues in Personality Research in Sport

• What has the Research Revealed?

  • Trait measures of personality have produced inconsistent results
  • Some show it does predict, others don’t 
  • Only looking at traits ignores situation
• What has the Research Revealed?

  • Trait measures alone have limited value for sport personality researchers.
  • Studies using an interactionist framework have been more useful.
  • WHY? Key Factor = these studies consider BOTH states & traits
  • Not 1 or the other
• Examples of Both Traits & States Test:

  • Sport-Specific Trait Measures (eg SCAT)
  • SCAT = Sport Competition Anxiety Test
  • Anxiety in/for sport 
  • Reliable & valid
  • Sport-Specific Trait/State Measures (eg SCAT/CSAI-2)
  • CSAI-2 = Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2
• Examples of Both Traits & States Test:

  • (eg SCAT/CSAI-2)
  • To really understand a person traits are important but if only thing you measure isn’t sufficient by itself, isn’t the full story need to look at both trait & state/situation