by Shannon Fleming
Vassar College Womens Volleyball
Most of us at one point or another have played or participated in a sport, whether it is volleyball, tennis, karate or pole-vaulting. Have you ever sat back and wondered why you chose that particular sport to play besides the simple fact that you love participating in it? Recent studies have shown that the complex of multiple personality traits that composes each individual may be a significant factor in which sport you prefer to play. Traits can be described as people’s characteristic behaviors and conscious motives. The broadest category of personality traits involves extraversion and introversion. People reflecting traits of extraversion tend to be excitable, outgoing, lively, sociable and impulsive. They love the lime-light, work well in groups, and tend to dislike being alone for long periods of time. People reflecting traits of introversion tend to be reserved, reclusive, thoughtful, calm, and rational. They are more interested in their own mental self, work better alone, and are controlled in social situations, preferring closer, more personal relationship. Although traits of introversion and extroversion are reflective of personality, that doesn’t mean that everyone is classified as one or the other, many people have traits associated with both extraversion and introversion (Myers, 2007).
In a study done by Urska Dobersek and Cart Bartling (2007), athletes from four different sports, three individual sports and one team sport, and non-athletes were given standard personality tests including the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire which measured emotionality and tough-mindedness and the Global 5 survey, which measured extraversion, introversion, emotional stability, orderliness, accommodations and intellect. Each subject’s personality traits were viewed in association with the sport they preferred and conclusions were drawn between personality traits and were linked to the type of sport preferred. The study showed significant differences in individuals who played team sports, like volleyball, and people who played individual sports, like tennis, track and golf. Participants on the volleyball team, a team sport, tended to display more traits associated with introversion such as being reliable and thoughtful. Learning to cooperate with other players and sharing the recognition for a win with other people tend to require being less bold and outgoing, and instead, being calmer, rational, and aware of surroundings. Participants of individual sports, where the pressure is all on you to perform reflected traits of extraversion such as being outgoing, energetic, spontaneous and to some extent egotistical.
These findings were interesting because many researchers and scientists would say the opposite is true. Many would agree that individual sports athletes would show traits of introversion versus team sports participants who would display traits of extraversion. They argue this view because individual sports require a high level of thinking and being aware of self, which are characteristic traits of introversion, and team sports require sociability, and therefore openness, skills which are characteristic traits of extroversion. In a study using the Eysenck Personality Inventory done by Eagleton and his colleagues (2007), the researchers studied 90 undergraduate team sport participants, individual sport participants and nonparticipants. They found that team sport participants scored higher on traits associated with extraversion, like liveliness, responsiveness and being outgoing, compared to individual sport participants and nonparticipants, who displayed traits of introversion, such as being reserved, passive and controlled.
The book “Sport Psychology,” by Matt Jarvis (1999), he upholds this view that team sport players are more extroverted than individual sport players who exert telic dominance, a motivational mode where individuals become cautious and serious-minded and form well thought out plans which are characteristics of introverts. A study does by Schurr and her colleagues (1997, cited in Jarvis, 1999) studied team and individual sport athletes versus non-athletes. It revealed that team players were more anxious, aggressive and excitable, all traits of extraversion, as compared to individual sports athletes, who were more submissive and controlled. The book “Angles on Applied Psychology,” by Julia Russell (2003), also agrees with this theory. Her book mentions one study (Francis et al, 1998) that compared the personalities of Irish female students who participated on the university hockey club to students who were on the tennis team using the Eysenck personality Questionnaire. Participants on the hockey team reflected more traits of extroversion than did the participants on the tennis team.
These studies reveal some of the difficulties in predicting behaviors based on personality traits. There is no one perfect personality mold that fits each individual sport, but it is possible that research on links between personality traits and sport preference in the future could reveal the secret as to why one person chooses soccer over badminton and possibly determine success rates of individuals in certain sports.
References
Dobersek, U., Bartling, C. (2008). Connection Between Personality Type and Sport. American Journal of Psychological Research, Volume 4 (Issue 1), 21-28.
Eagleton et al. (2007). Extraversion and neuroticism in team sport participants, individual sport participants, and nonparticipants. Perpetual and Motor Skills, Volume 105 (Issue 1), 265-275.
Jarvis, M. (1999). Sport Psychology. Great Britain: Routledge.
Myers, D. (2007). Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules. New York: Worth Publishers.
Russell, J. (2003). Angles on Applied Psychology. New York: Nelson Thornes.
This is a really interesting topic that definitely merits more research. Sport psychology traditionally deals with the psychology of motivation and why some days an athlete performs better than on other days. But the idea that we choose a sport based on our personality traits is complex, because it is also likely that, because people often begin sports at a young age, the sport we choose (or have chosen for us) may influence our personality. So certain sports that are inherently team sports, like volleyball, may lead us to become more extroverted, whereas an individual sport, like running (I hesitate to say track or cross country because track teams notoriously have a large number of people and you tend to practice in groups) may lead you to become more introverted. Then again, maybe these sports serve as an outlet to get out all of one’s extroverted (or introverted) tendencies and then return to being introverted (or extroverted). It is no doubt a very complicated relationship, and one that may very well be different for every individual (i.e. there might not even be a correlation at all).
Comment by Will Jobs — May 17, 2009 @ 10:47 am
I agree with Will Jobs that this topic is truly quite complicated and complex. I have never thought of one choosing a sport out of personality.
I have always linked our choices of sports to the culture in which we live. For example, I am an avid squash player. The reason for this is not because I figure myself to be an extroverted (or introverted, depending on which study) individual but rather, everyone in my town plays squash. Even children as young as four are seen at the local courts hitting the ball. Does this imply that a majority of my town are of similar personality?
To further complicate this issue, how do we factor in athletes who play multiple sports? Even more complicated, how do we factor in athletes who play both team AND individual sports. While I play squash, I also play rugby. These two sports are very different (almost opposite) in nature. Does this study assume that I am one personality more than the other? Or am I just an outlier to the data and the study? How can we predict my personality through the two sports I play?
Comment by Libby — September 25, 2009 @ 8:19 pm
Correlational studies, such as the ones mentioned in the post, cannot confirm concrete conclusions due to the amount of extraneous factors involved. The tie between athletes’ tendencies toward introversion or extroversion and their choice of sport are not verifiable because of the degree of difference between individuals. Background is a major influence, like what sports are popular or even available in the area. Parents sometimes push kids into playing certain sports, regardless of personality preferences; peer pressure might shape their decision between team sports or individual sports. I think the point brought up by Will Jobs was interesting: that the sport itself might reversely affect a person’s development as an introvert or an extrovert. I will say it is interesting, though, to look into the relationships of sport psychology, despite the difficulty in forming solid correlations.
Comment by Andrea Fahmy — October 10, 2009 @ 4:04 pm
Will raises a fantastic point when he suggests that participation in a sport influences an athlete’s personality by activating traits associated with either extroversion or introversion. Parents often encourage introverted kids to join sports teams so that they may develop extroversion tendencies through the friendships that are made as a result of the sport. Libby’s questions about those athletes who participate in multiple and/or opposite sports also bring a new argument to the table. It would seem that if you pick a sport that is in agreement with your personality, it is unlikely you would then pick another sport that acts in contradiction of your personality.
I would argue that the sport a particular person chooses is not a direct result of their personality, but it has some involvement. There are probably a number of factors that combine to make an athlete ideal for a certain sport. As Libby explained, the sport an athlete chooses can be influenced by the environment around them, mainly by the place they were raised in and the people they have encountered. Your physical genetic make-up must also have something to do with which sport you are best suited for, as different body types and body strengths are better suited for different sports. There is no denying the fact that different personalities are more prevalent in different sports, but it seems that personality is not the only factor that determines an athlete’s sport of choice.
Comment by Ross Macklin — October 13, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
This blog post brings up a very interesting question. Do people choose which sport they play based on there level of introversion or extraversion? One quality of extraverts is their outgoingness and sociability. People so often associate sports with physiology that they forget how much mental output is required. In team sports, being able to communicate loudly and effectively (this has been engrained in my mind by my basketball coach here at Vassar—during practice our team runs a “suicide” each time we neglect to communicate while playing defense), as well as be comfortable socially are crucial to team success. These traits are clearly prevalent in extraverts, making me believe that this is a large part of the link between extraverts and team sport participation. Introverts on the other hand are more reserved, and less comfortable with being loud and outgoing. This may lend those personality types to an interest in a sport such as tennis or golf, where limited language and interaction with others is performed.
Comment by Psych 105 Student — December 11, 2009 @ 3:41 am
I ran track all throughout high school, and whenever someone found out I was on the team, they would ask, “What?! Why do you do track?” I’m not sure why they were so surprised–I guess I just don’t come off as the intense school-spirited athlete type–and I never really knew how to answer. “Uhh, I really like wearing ugly high waisted shorts and being forced to run as fast as I can after someone fires a gun at me…?” However, this post explains many of the reasons why I chose track. Although I am socially extroverted, I’m highly competitive and work much better alone, so it makes sense that I chose an individual sport.
Comment by Katie De Heras — December 11, 2009 @ 11:59 pm
I wonder if these studies would benefit from more specific nominal variables than just the distinction between individual sport and team sport. The role that an individual plays on a sports team or the amount of time spent training alone may correlate more directly with personality type. Would a soccer goalkeeper or a football quarterback be more or less extroverted than other members of the team to whom less attention is paid? A cross-country runner probably spends more time running alone than an equally successful tennis player spends playing tennis by himself. So, would a runner more likely be an introvert?
Comment by 105 student — February 21, 2010 @ 5:02 pm
I love this writeup
Comment by Esther — July 15, 2012 @ 2:45 am
[...] In the classroom, the issue is just as tricky, and the terms fall apart. Some students are reserved among peers but lively in class (or talkative one day and quiet the next). Some students love to give presentations but hesitate to speak spontaneously. Some students thrive in whole-class discussion but shut down in small groups; others do the reverse. Some do not wish to speak in class—they’d much rather listen—whereas others secretly hope for an invitation to speak. Some dominate class discussion until given an especially challenging question. Then they quiet down. (One finds analogous complexities in sports.) [...]
Pingback by Do Teachers Favor Extraverted Students? « Diana Senechal — August 25, 2012 @ 4:42 pm
Interesting. I usually just assume that more extroverted people would tend to play team sports (as a general trend), even though that doesn’t apply to me. I am introverted and though I usually prefer individual activities, when it comes to sports I prefer team sports. Because of this, I was interested in the first study you mentioned, though it seems to contradict the others. I don’t know if there will be a link found between personality and choice of sports, but it seems like more research needs to be done.
Comment by Anonymous — May 12, 2013 @ 7:27 pm
Great article. As a veritable non-athlete, I found the different behaviors required of different sports to be really interesting – particularly in light of the fact that the “athlete personality” is often cast as pretty uniform. I’d be really interested to see this topic explored in light of reciprocal determinism, i.e. the idea that our personality influences our behavior, and vice versa. Is it unusual, for example, for a track and field athlete to also double as as a volleyball player given the starkly different personality traits each sport demands?
Comment by anon — May 20, 2013 @ 8:02 pm