Psychological Factors
Affecting Performance
Personality theories
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Personality as a layered structure
Narrow band approach
Eysenck’s Type Theory
Personality by continuums
Trait theories
Interactionist approach
Summary
Theory 1 – Hollander (1971)
‘Personality as a Layered Structure’
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Inner psychological core – (not affected by the
environment). Fairly permanent qualities, e.g. basic
beliefs and values reside here (controlling or dictating
behaviour – trait approach)
Way we typically or usually respond to certain
situations
Role-related behaviours – Typical response may be
affected by circumstances. Behaviour will be
completely different at different times and in different
situations and may well be quite unlike our
psychological core (interactionist approach)
Social environment – Affects our role-related
behaviours
‘Narrow Band approach’
Personality
TYPE A
Impatient
Intolerance
High levels of stress
TYPE B
Relaxed
Tolerant approach
Lower personal
stress
‘Eysenck’s Type Theory’
• Stable (reliable and predictable)
Extroversion (likes social affiliation)
Introversion (avoids social contact)
Neurotic (extreme emotions and
unreliable)
• “People don’t have one type of personality
or another, they lie on a scale of traits”
• This research led to the construction of the
EPQ and EPI (Eysenck’s Personality
Inventory)
• Eysenck regarded personality as largely
resulting from inherited (innate) tendencies.
• He measured these inherited characteristics
through a Personality Inventory (EPI, 1964),
and personality questionnaire (1975)
• He used factor analysis to identify general
trends.
• Therefore identifying 2 major personality
dimensions on a continuum
• Extroversion – Introversion
• Stable - Neurotic
Personality continuums
• (Extroversion – Introversion). This
dimension linked to a person’s Reticular
Activating System (RAS). Related to how
social or unsocial a person appeared to
be.
• (Stable – Neurotic). This linked to a
person’s autonomic nervous system.
Referred to the levels of nervousness and
anxiety that a person was susceptible to.
• It was claimed that extroverts were more
likely to take part in sport and be more
successful, that they prefer team games
and that:
• Extroverts cope better in competitive and
highly charged, stressful situations
• Extroverts cope better in the presence of
distracting stimuli (e.g. audience, noise)
• Extroverts can cope with pain more easily
then introverts
Cattell’s theory (1965)
• Adopted a trait approach but argued you needed
more than 2 dimensions to create a full picture of
a person’s personality.
• Cattell’s 16 point personality questionnaire
would identify certain common traits (possessed
by all), and unique traits (possessed by some).
• Therefore personality was more dynamic and
could fluctuate according to the situation and the
environment.
Evaluation of ‘trait theories’
• Did not recognise the specific effects of
different environmental situations
• Traits are seen as poor predictors of
behaviour. Although people have certain
core tendencies, or are disposed to act in
certain ways, these behaviours are not
general but specific to certain situations
• Therefore interactionist approaches would
be more efficient in predicting behaviour
Interactionist approach
• B=f(PE)
• B=Behaviour
• F=Function
• P=Personality Trait
• E=Environment
Summary
• Hollander (1971) believes personality is subject
to both trait and interactionist approaches.
• The narrow band approach believes there are
only 2 categories of personality
• Eysenck’s type theory - “People don’t have one
type of personality or another, they lie on a scale
of traits”
• Cattell’s 16 point personality questionnaire
would identify certain common traits (possessed
by all), and unique traits (possessed by some).