Personality and the Impact on Performance
Data-driven personality metrics can enhance overall team effectiveness and individual optimization.
Think about the last time you watched an elite athlete compete, regardless of if they won or lost. There’s no question what they did with their body, the skill and athleticism they displayed, was impressive. But what you don’t see is what’s going on between their ears.
Personality is often the separator when it comes to athletic achievement. The truth is, it’s impossible to separate mental performance from physical performance. When athletes participate in competitive sports, their underlying personality characteristics inevitably impact their actions (Source).
Personality’s impact on performance is nuanced
A body of research has focused on identifying whether personality can successfully predict athletic success (Source; Source; Source; Source; Source; Source). What’s emerged from research is that personality’s impact on performance is nuanced. Research in other performance-related domains, such as academia and organizational settings, has highlighted conscientiousness as consistently correlating with success (Source; Source).
There will likely never be a single personality archetype that results in high performance.
To better understand the processes connecting personality traits to athletic success, researchers have begun exploring associations between personality traits and discrete athletic behaviors. Because our aim in assessment is to be objective, we must acknowledge all the possible positive and negative outcomes when considering personality traits’ impact on performance and team cohesion. There will likely never be a single personality archetype that results in high performance.
And while there may be many personality traits that have aided in athletic success, we do know the relationships between players and coaches is critical to driving successful team and individual performance. It’s impossible to put a price on player-coach as well as player-player relationships; they’re more valuable than we could ever accurately calculate. Sustaining a culture and environment that breeds respect and fosters a genuine love and appreciation toward one another only accelerates team success on and off the playing field.
How personality traits affect outcomes
Let’s look closer at the spectrum of positive and negative outcomes as it relates to personality traits:
It has been found that sport participants with high levels of conscientiousness use better preparation strategies (Source), take fewer reckless risks (Source), and use more effective coping strategies (Source) before and during athletic competitions.
These findings suggest that high levels of conscientiousness can increase self-control and minimize impulsive tendencies while optimizing individual preparation and performance.
We can also look at the other end of the spectrum with conscientiousness, where lower levels of this trait may indicate qualities such as spontaneity or impulsiveness, difficulty with organization or structure, or struggles when trying to stay on or complete tasks
From a team lens, coaches who account for high levels of conscientiousness could observe an environment of enhanced focus, self-discipline and strong-willed behaviors that help nurture a positive team culture. Similarly, research has shown sports participants with traits of agreeableness or conscientiousness — again speaking to the nuances of personality assessment — may report more favorable relationships with their teammates and coaches (Source).
High Emotional Range / Neuroticism
High Emotional Range, also referred to as Neuroticism, has been shown to interlink with low tolerance for stress or stimuli. This is an important factor to consider when it comes to high-performance environments that require mental toughness, handling pressure, and managing external stimuli – like a high-profile rivalry game, for example. In that scenario, you want your athletes and coaches to feel empowered to perform their best. If they don’t, and if you could help them get “into the zone” by first assessing their personality, why wouldn’t you?
Additionally, athletes with high scores of neuroticism may be more emotionally reactive. They may be more likely to interpret situations others find as ordinary to be threatening, as well as perceive minor frustrations as difficult. Consequently, their negative emotional reactions may persist for longer periods of time, negatively impacting resilience or performance (Source).
Contextual and holistic personality data is an advantage
When considering personality data and how it relates to athletic performance, deriving rich, contextual data from a holistic lens that considers team cultures and values shouldn’t just be considered by decision-makers, but deemed necessary. These nuances within personality research help us understand the data-driven metrics, and can enhance overall team effectiveness and individual optimization when applied with expertise and intent. Mental Metrix takes these nuances into account in considering the intricacies and dynamics that already exist at an organizational level. With trained psychologists on staff, we strive to meet your organizational needs and provide objective data points through personality attributes using our Mental Metrix portal.
