Psychology & Sports Class 12 Physical Education

Personality

The word personality is derived from Latin word persona meaning the mask. In ancient Greece, the actors used to wear masks to hide their identities while portraying their roles in a theatrical play. To an ordinary person, the word personality conveys the meaning of one’s physical appearance, his habits, his ways of dressing, his reputation, his manners and other similar characteristics.

Definitions of Personality

According to Guild Ford, “Personality is an individuals unique patterns of traits.

                                               

Types of Personality

[Sheldon and Jung Classification]

The concept of personality and its types have been formulated by many psychologists. The personality type on the basis of physical attributes is given by William Herbert Sheldon. It is as follows

1. Endomorph The endomorph is physically quite round, with wide hips, narrow shoulders which makes them pear-shaped Lot of fat is spread across the body. They are sociable, fun-loving, tolerant, even-tempered, good humoured, relaxed and love food.
2. Ectomorph They are quite the opposite of endomorph. They have narrow shoulders and hips, thin, narrow face, high forehead, thin, narrow chest and very little body fat. They are self-conscious, private, introvert, socially anxious, intense, emotionally restrained and thoughtful.
3. Mesomorph They are somewhere between endomorph and ectomorph. They have large head, broad shoulders, narrow waist (wedge shaped), muscular body, strong limbs and little body fat. They are well proportioned. They are adventurous, courageous, assertive, bold, competitive, with a desire to dominate, take risk, rise to power.

The personality type on mental basis is formulated by Carl Jung. 

These are as follows

• Extroverts Have more self-confidence, take more interest in others, are outgoing, lively and realistic. They are very social and form friends quite easily. Actors, social and political leaders etc belong to this group.
• Introverts Are too self-conscious, more interested in their own thoughts and ideas, self-centered, shy, reserved and lovers of solitude. They do not make friends easily andkeep in’the’ background op social occasions. Philosophers, poets, artists and scientists belong to this class.
• Ambiverts Doubting whether people can be divided into these two extremes, he put most of the people in this category and they-have been labelled as ‘ambiverts.’ The Ambiverts are a mixture of both the extremes in a balanced manner. Ambiverts are neither outgoing nor reserved to themselves. They are able to adjust themselves to any situation

  Big Five Theory

The ‘big five’ are the broad categories of five personality traits that are universal. They are as follows

• Extraversion It is characterised by excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness and high amounts of emotional expressiveness. People high in extraversion are extroverts and low in extraversion are introverts.
• Agreeableness This includes attributes like trust, kindness, affection and other social behaviours. People high in agreeableness are more cooperative and people low ih this trait are more competitive and manipulative.
• Conscientiousness Characteristics include high level of thoughtfulness, good impulse control and goal-directed behaviours. People high on this trait are organised and mindful of details.
• Neuroticism Characteristics are sadness, moodiness and emotional instability. People high in this trait experience mood swings, anxiety, irritability and sadness. People low in this trait are more stable and emotionally , resilient.
• Openness Characteristics are imagination and insight. People high in this trait are creative, adventurous and have a broad range of interests. People low in this trait are more traditional and less in abstract thinking

Motivation and its Types

Motivation is a process through which an individual is inspired m stimulated to act in a particular fashion or manner towards a particular direction. Motivation is of two types

1. Internal Motivation or Intrinsic Motivation

This motivation is within an individual and guides one to perform better to satisfy one’s own personal feelings. Internal motivation depends upon basic needs like biological needs (thirst, hunger), social needs (family, friends etc), psychological needs (interest, attitude, love, self-esteem) and personal needs (safety, personality, economical etc).

2. External Motivation or Extrinsic Motivation

This motivation depends upon environmental factors. External motivation has great impact on an individual’s performance. It is of various types like

• Rewards
• Punishment
• Active participation
• Equipment and surroundings
• Teaching methods
• Audio-Visual aids
• Test-evaluations and competitions
• Teacher-pupil relationship

Techniques of Motivation

Various techniques of motivation are applied on sportspersons which can enable them to achieve the top positions in the field of sports and games. These techniques of motivation are

1. Haying an Innovative Curriculum Many elementary skills basic to sports development have already developed in most of the children by the time they reach primary school age.
2. Knowing Your Athlete Each athlete comes from a different background with varied experiences and having different degrees of maturity.
3. Teacher as a Motivator A teacher or coach who has participated in the sport himself, who is highly skilled and can demonstrate and explain the skill more accurately and can plan the next competition wisely, is a great asset in motivating the athletes.
4. Freedom to Beginners To motivate young beginners, they should be allowed a greater degree of freedom in their early attempts.
5. Level of Aspiration/ Goal Setting As we know that achieving performance goals is a sign of competence that affects motivation positively, it is necessary to set realistic goals based on one’s own abilities.
6. Identifying Incentive Factors If an athlete perceives that any particular kind of experiences are available to him in a given sport and he feels that these will be pleasant, enjoyable or satisfying, then he will choose to participate in that game or sport and not any other.
7. Assigning Well-Defined Roles Assigning well-defined roles to athletes enhances their perception of self-competence.

Exercise Adherence:- 

Exercise adherence refers to maintaining an exercise regimen for a prolonged period of time following the initial adoption phase. Exercise adherence is voluntary, self-regulated and largely a psychological issue.

Reasons to Exercise

We all unconsciously know that exercise is good for us. It is fair to say that everyone wants to be healthy. At the same time, it is probably equally fair to say that most of us are not exercising enough. The main incentive that can make us start exercising is overall health improvement.

Here is the list of powerful reasons to exercise
1. Longevity
People who are physically active live longer. Regular exercise habit reduces the risk of dying prematurely.

2. Weight Control
Regular physical activity helps to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Exercises speed, up, the rate of , energy use, resulting in increased metabolism. When metabolism increases through exercise, the body weight remains under-control.

3. Bone Strength
An active lifestyle benefits bone density. Regular weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation, delays bone loss and may protect against osteoporosis (form of bone loss associated with aging).

4. Strong Immune System
Regular exercise is beneficial for immune function. Exercise or physical activity may help flush bacteria out of the lungs and airways. This increases the immunity of body and reduces chance of getting a cold, flu or other illness.

5. Cholesterol Lowering Effect
Physical exercise favourably influences blood cholesterol levels in our body. Exercise positively alters cholesterol metabolism by increasing the production and action of several enzymes in the muscles and liver that function to convert some of the cholesterol to a more favourable form.

Benefits of Exercise
Exercise is defined as any movement that makes body’s muscles work and requires body to bum calories. There are many types of physical activity, including swimming, running, jogging, walking, dancing etc. Being active has been shown to have many health benefits, both physical and mental. Here is the list of scientifically proven health benefits the regular exercise brings

• Exercise has been shown to improve our mood and decrease feelings of depression, anxiety and stress. It produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulate stress and anxiety.
• Exercise plays a vital role in building and maintaining strong muscles and bones. Physical activity like weightlifting can stimulate muscle building when paired with adequate protein intake.
• Regular exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, cardiovascular fitness and body composition, yet decrease blood pressure and blood fat levels.
• Exercise can provide antioxidant protection and promote blood flow, which can protect skin and delays signs of aging.

Strategies for Enhancing Adherence to Exercise

The choice of whether of not to exercise is a daily decision Although a person’s risk of dropping out of an exercise programme is lower when he/she has maintained participation for six months or longer. Following should be strategies for enhancing adherence to exercise

• An individual should identify situations when he/she is likely to experience lapses in his/her exercise programme. The most common situations include travel, holidays, illness, stress, poor weather, and competing family obligations.
• People should use realistic plans that work with the exercise schedule and willingness.
• You should make your exercise fun, interesting, challenging and enjoyable.
• There should be adequate break during intensive exercise.
• Exercise should be scheduled with a group or club and isolated exercise habit should be avoided.

Aggression in Sports

Concept of Aggression in Sports

In sports, aggression is often seen in the field where players play aggressively. There is a desire to excel which leads the players to play with high intensity. So aggression is positive when players play within the rules of the game with high intensity and without harming other players.

Types of Aggression in Sports

1. Instrumental Aggression In instrumental aggression, the main aim is to achieve a goal by using aggression. It is a positive form of aggression. Here the aim of the player is to excel in the sport that he is playing through high intensity output and competitive spirit. For example, a football player using aggression to tackle his opponent and win the ball. He is not harming any player but only using his aggressiveness to gain the ball. Experienced players show instrumental aggression on the field as they have greater self-control to manage their aggression.

2. Hostile Aggression In hostile aggression, the main aim is to cause harm or injury to your opponent. It is usually an unplanned, impulsive reaction towards a player who may have become a threat in achieving the goal. However it may also be planned to cause injury to intended player on the field. This kind of aggression often arises from insult, hurt, bad feelings, jealousy and threat.

By Girish Tomar (Bpe, B.Ped, M. Ped)

Physical Education Teacher