Personality Types & Sport (AQA GCSE Physical Education (PE)): Revision Note

Personality Types & Sport

• Everybody has a unique personality, this can be grouped into different personality types by sports psychologists

• Two personality types are:

  • introvert

  • extrovert

• Classifying sports people into these personality types can help understand their performance and which sports they would be suited to

Introverts

• Common characteristics of an introvert:

  • shy/quiet

  • thoughtful

  • enjoy being on their own

  • may become over-aroused easily

• Introverts tend to play individual sports that require concentration and precision (fine skill) and where low arousal is required

  • Examples include darts, snooker, archery

Extroverts

• Common characteristics of an extrovert:

  • enjoy interaction with others/sociable

  • energised and aroused by others

  • enthusiastic and talkative

  • prone to boredom when isolated or by themselves

• Extroverts tend to play team sports where there is a fast pace, concentration may need to be low, and gross skills are used

  • Examples include futsal, lacrosse, netball