A Narrative Review of the Influence of Personality on Athletic Success

Abstract

Since the creation of the Olympic Games over two millennia ago, athletics has been a way to discover humanity’s physical limits. Through training and practice, athletes can achieve feats never reached before. However, as competition becomes more difficult, athletes and coaches have to find new ways to break through barriers and reach new heights in their sport. At high levels of competition, mental training becomes just as important as physical training. By understanding an athlete’s personality characteristics and how it can affect performance, competitors and coaches alike can develop and utilize these traits to further athletic success. Through an analysis of various studies, four characteristics have been studied in depth: extroversion, conscientiousness, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy. All of these attributes are generally beneficial for an athlete to possess, but each has its drawbacks and nuances. This paper outlines how each facet of personality can affect an athlete and how athletes and coaches can develop these characteristics for success.