The Relationship Between Big Five and Self-Control in Boxers: A Mediating Model

Brain structural correlates of psychopathic traits in elite female combat-sports athletes

Psychopathy is characterized by glibness and superficial charm, as well as a lack of empathy, guilt and remorse, and is often accompanied by antisocial behaviour. The cerebral bases of this syndrome have been mostly studied in violent subjects or those with a criminal history. However, the antisocial component of psychopathy is not central to its conceptualization, and in fact, psychopathic traits are present in well-adjusted, non-criminal individuals within the general population. Interestingly, certain psychopathy characteristics appear to be particularly pronounced in some groups or professions. Importantly, as these so-called adaptive or successful psychopaths do not show antisocial tendencies or have significant psychiatric comorbidities, they may represent an ideal population to study this trait. Here, we investigated such a group, specifically elite female judo athletes, and compared them with matched non-athletes. Participants completed psychopathy, anger, perspective-taking and empathic concern questionnaires and underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Grey matter volume (GMV) was computed using voxel-based morphometry from the T1-weighted images. Athletes scored significantly higher in primary psychopathy and anger and lower in empathy and perspective taking. They also exhibited smaller GMV in the right temporal pole, left occipital cortex and left amygdala/hippocampus. GMV values for the latter cluster significantly correlated with primary psychopathy scores across both groups. These results confirm and extend previous findings to a little-studied population and provide support for the conceptualization of psychopathy as a dimensional personality trait which not only is not necessarily associated with antisocial behaviour but may potentially have adaptive value.

The relationship of personality and executive functions in high-level soccer athletes: expertise-and gender-specific differences

Background

Psycho-cognitive factors such as personality and executive functions (EFs) are influential parameters when it comes to examining expertise in high-level soccer. Therefore, the profiles of those athletes are relevant both from a practical and scientific point of view. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and executive functions with age group as an influential factor in high-level male and female soccer players.

Methods

Personality traits and executive functions of 138 high-level male and female soccer athletes from the U17-Pros teams were assessed using the big-five paradigm. A series of linear regressions investigated contributions of personality on EF assessments and team, respectively.

Results

Linear regression models showed both negative and positive relationships between various personality traits, executive function performance and the influence of expertise and gender. Together, a maximum of 23% (R² = 6%-23%) of the variance between EFs with personality and various teams, demonstrating that many unaccounted-for variables remain at play.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate the inconsistent relationship between personality traits and executive functions. The study calls for more replication studies to help strengthen the understanding of relationships between psycho-cognitive factors in high-level team sport athletes.

Mental toughness and physical fitness tests of boxing athletes associated with big five personality factors

ABSTRACT The present study related to boxing athletes' mental toughness and physical fitness performances with Big Five Factors. For this, the sample was composed of eleven recreational boxers who competed at the state level and were regularly training (technical and tactical) 4 times a week during the evaluation period. The 44-item Big Five Inventory (BFI) measures the Big Five dimensions of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion and the 14-item Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) were applied with Strength, Power, and Endurance Tests, Pearson and Spearman's correlations were used to verify the association between BFI, physical and mental tests, respectively, p≤.05. Our results demonstrated that significant and strong correlation between agreeableness factor and sit-ups test, with 40.85±12.36 freq./min (r=.72, p=.02) and, in SMTQ, a strong correlation between Neuroticism and Control [10(9;12) score, r=.76, p≤0.01], Constancy [10(9;12) score, r=.84, p≤0.01] and Total SMQT [37(34;37) score, r=.84, p≤0.01]. In conclusion, these results suggest that Neuroticism factors are associated with mental toughness, while the agreeableness factor is related to muscular endurance capability. Mental toughness and endurance results are associated with boxers' personalities whose drive motivates them relentlessly towards success and promotes thriving in boxing training environments or during championships.

Associations of Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor rs6265 Gene Polymorphism with Personality Dimensions among Athletes

Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNF) is one of the essential mediating factors of exercise-induced neuroplasticity, but the underlying molecular mechanisms of exercise-induced neuroplasticity are still largely unknown. Personality dimensions differentiate individuals and depend on genes and environmental factors. The dimensions of openness to experience, emotional stability, extraversion and conscientiousness have been reported to be positively related to performance; considering agreeableness, a negative relation with sports performance was emphasized. However, not enough effort has been put into investigating the relationship between genetic polymorphisms affecting psychological abilities and competitive power sports. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of the rs6265 polymorphism of BDNF with personality dimensions in martial arts athletes. The study was conducted among martial arts athletes. The study group included 258 volunteers (martial arts athletes (n = 106) and controls (n = 152). BDNF polymorphism testing was performed using the real-time PCR method; personality dimensions were assessed using standardized NEO-FFI questionnaires. All analyses were performed using STATISTICA 13. We observed that martial arts athletes’ G/G genotypes compared to the control group G/G genotypes presented significantly higher severity of personality dimension “conscientiousness”. In comparison with the controls, the case group subjects had significantly higher scores in the dimension extraversion (M 6.89 vs. M 6.43, p = 0.0405) and conscientiousness/scale (M 7.23 vs. M 5.89, p < 0.0001). The results of 2 × 3 factorial ANOVA noticed a statistically significant effect of combined factor BDNF rs6265 genotype of martial arts/control (F2,252 = 3.11, p = 0.0465, η2 = 0.024). Additionally, we observed that the results of 2 × 3 factorial ANOVA showed a statistically significant influence of combined factor BDNF rs6265 of genotype martial arts/ control (F2,252 = 6.16, p = 0.0024, η2 = 0.047). The combination of the analysis of personality dimensions with genetics—as in the case of the polymorphism of the BDNF gene related to neuroplasticity—indicates that neurobiology cannot be ignored in educating sports champions. We already know that this is related to genetics. However, little is still known about the influence of personality traits on sports performance. We observed that martial arts athletes’ G/G genotypes, in comparison to the control group’s G/G genotypes, presented significantly higher severity of personality dimension “conscientiousness”. This is worthy of further analysis and probably longitudinal studies on a more numerous group of athletes.

Personality in Soccer: Investigation of the Five-Factor Model of Personality in High-Level Athletes

Background

In high-level sports, rapid screening and diagnostic instruments are necessary considering limited access that researchers have to these athletes. In the area of sport psychological diagnostics, the NEO-FFI is a promising tool to gain information about an athlete's personality traits. The current study investigated the NEO-FFI's scientific quality criteria and general application to elite-level soccer.

Methods

Personality traits of 378 elite-level soccer athletes were assessed using the NEO-FFI. Analysis focused on internal consistency, factor structure and gender differences. Additionally, a second measurement with a 6-week interval was conducted with a sub-sample of 86 athletes to analyse test-retest reliability.

Results

Overall, the results are in line with previous findings outside high-level sports. For the total sample, alpha-levels from 0.68 to 0.84 and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for test-retest measures from 0.86 to 0.91 could be found. Item-level principal component analysis using both oblimin and oblique rotation showed better stability in neuroticism (N) and conscientiousness (C) than in extraversion (E), openness (O), and agreeableness (A). Gender differences could be found in values of internal consistency, ICC and NEO-FFI traits.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate good transferability of the NEO-FFI from settings outside high-level sports into this specific niche of sport psychological assessment. However, the same weaknesses of the applied instrument in general populations were also replicated in the sporting population.

Personality characteristics and competitive anxiety in individual and team athletes

The purposes of this study were to investigate differences in personality and competitive anxiety depending on types of sports and gender, and to determine the influence of personality on competitive anxiety. Participants included 237 athletes (134 men and 103 women) who participated in the Thailand University Games, 2020. They were classified as individual (n = 114) and team (n = 123) athletes. Personality characteristics and competitive anxiety were assessed by using NEO five-factor inventory and sport competitive anxiety test. Differences between individual and team athletes and between gender were tested by using independent t-test. Relationships between personality and competitive anxiety were analyzed by using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Moreover, multiple regression analysis was used to measure the contributions of personality on competitive anxiety. The results showed that competitive anxiety was significant difference between individual and team athletes (p = 0.03, d = 0.28). However, there was no difference in personality between groups. When compared between gender, there were significant differences in competitive anxiety (p < 0.001, d = 0.52) and the agreeableness (p = 0.04, d = -0.26) component of personality between female and male athletes. From the correlation analyzes, four characteristics of personality showed significant associations with competitive anxiety including neuroticism (r = -0.472, ρ < 0.001), extraversion (r = 0.184, ρ = 0.005), agreeableness (r = 0.147, ρ = 0.024), and conscientiousness (r = 0.202, ρ = 0.002). Among five personality factors, the neuroticism had minimally negative effect on competitive anxiety (β = -0.52) with percentage of prediction of 22%. These can be concluded that types of sport and gender are the important factors affecting personality and competitive anxiety. The athletes with certain personality traits were more susceptible to competitive anxiety. Importantly, the neuroticism could serve as a prediction of the competitive anxiety in all collegiate athletes.

Investigating the relationship between personality, chronotype, computer game addiction, and sleep quality of high school students: A structural equation modelling approach

This study examines the relationship between high school students' age, gender, personality, computer game addiction, chronotype, and sleep quality using structural equation modelling. For this purpose, the study was planned according to the correlational research design, one of the most common quantitative research methods. The sample of the study consisted of 922 students who accepted to participate and completed the scales. Of the 922 high school students in the sample, 528 were girls, and 394 were boys. In the study, the Computer Game Addiction Scale for Adolescents, Sleep Quality Scale, Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), and Big Five Inventory were used to measure the variables. Among the variables involved, personality traits, such as consciousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, were significantly related with morningness-eveningness. Besides, gender and being evening or morning types were found to be significantly related with game addiction. However, sleep quality was predicted by computer game addiction and morningness-eveningness. It was found that the fit indices of the model have an acceptable and good fit in explaining the variables.

Smartphone Addiction and Cybercrime Victimization in the Context of Lifestyles Routine Activities and Self-Control Theories: The User's Dual Vulnerability Model of Cybercrime Victimization

(1) Background: This paper combines lifestyle-routine activities (L-RAT) and self-control (SCT) theories along with the literature on smartphone addiction in a joint model that addresses the multiple vulnerabilities that make the smartphone user a potential victim of cybercrime. This model, which we call the dual vulnerability model of cybercrime victimization, was subjected to empirical testing on a nationally representative sample of smartphone users. (2) Methods: Data from 2837 participants from a nationally representative sample of Spanish smartphone users were modeled using Mplus causal modeling software. (3) Results: The results of the study confirm the predictions of L-RAT and SCT in explaining cybercrime victimization (higher cybercrime victimization under conditions of high exposure, proximity, and suitability, relative absence of capable guardian, and low self-control). A significant effect of smartphone addiction on cybercrime victimization was also observed above and beyond L-RAT and SCT predictors. (4) Conclusions: The potential victim of cybercrime presents a double vulnerability, on the one hand, those identified by criminological theories such as L-RAT and SCT, and on the other hand, those derived from the deregulated-addicted use of the Internet access device (smartphone in our work).

Multidimensional Models of Perfectionism and Procrastination: Seeking Determinants of Both

Background: Perfectionism is currently conceptualized using a multidimensional model, with extensive research establishing the presence of both maladaptive and adaptive forms. However, the potential adaptability of procrastination, largely considered as a maladaptive construct, and its possible developmental connection to perfectionism remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the individual differences of the multidimensional models of both perfectionism and procrastination, as well as investigating potential links between the two constructs. Methods: A convenience sample of 206 undergraduate students participated in this study. Participants completed a questionnaire consisting of 236 questions regarding the variables under investigation. Results: The adaptive model of procrastination yielded largely insignificant results and demonstrated limited links with adaptive perfectionism, while maladaptive procrastination was consistently associated with maladaptive perfectionism, lending further evidence of a unidimensional model of procrastination. Conclusions: Many previous findings regarding the multidimensional model of perfectionism were replicated, along with new contributions focusing on the dual-process model and temporal orientation.