nappropriate and insensitive tools and models, namely trait theories. It is therefore not surprising that the search for links between personality and sports performance has been slow. However, in the past few years, the field of personality has matured, focusing to a great extent on the search for alternatives or extensions of trait theory. Trait theory has been under attack not so much because it is an unsound theory as because ipso facto personality traits emphasize only the personal dispositions in explaining behavior and minimize the role of situational factors. The result is that a number of alternative models and approaches have been proposed in an effort to formulate a more vital and dynamic concept of personality sensitive to situational factors in behavior.
Furthermore, methodological inconsistencies make it impossible to generalize the results of the studies. Many different instruments have been used on the same group of athletes with differing descriptions of the personality profile of the group. Similarly, the same instruments used with the same group of athletes have resulted in contrasting profiles. Therefore, these methodological factors must be taken into account when interpreting the results of the studies to be reviewed next.
A number of useful reviews (Kane, 1976) give some indication of the present understanding of the link between personality and physical abilities and point to many possibilities for clarifying the nature of this link. The studies included in these reviews tend to fall into categories: those attempting a simple personality description (via Cattell or Eysenck) of athletes versus non-athletes, and those correlational studies demonstrating the relationship between personality and physical ability. The correlational studies have been very few and involve more sophisticated experimental techniques.
A number of different sports have been the subject of study regarding the personality...