Crewther BT, Obmiński Z, Turowski D, Szczepańska B, Mroczkowska H. Associations between the Big Five personality traits, testosterone, and cortisol in adolescent male athletes.
Biol Sport 2024;
41:279-286. [PMID:
38188103 PMCID:
PMC10765448 DOI:
10.5114/biolsport.2024.127390]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Testosterone (T) has been conceptualized as a biomarker of individual differences, yet T associations with the Big Five personality traits are inconsistent. Athletes provide a suitable model for evaluation here, as T co-expresses traits related to male-to-male competition and fitness with cortisol (C) playing a moderating role. This study investigated associations between the Big Five traits, T, and C in adolescent male athletes. One hundred and twenty male ice hockey players (aged 14-19 years) were assessed for blood total (T, C) and free (FT, FC) hormones, body-size dimensions (i.e., body mass, height, body mass index [BMI]), the Big Five personality traits (i.e., extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, openness), and trait anxiety. Correlational and regression (with age and BMI as covariates) analyses identified a positive effect of FT on extraversion, but a negative FT effect on neuroticism and anxiety (p < 0.05). Significant FT × FC interactions emerged for extraversion and agreeableness. Slope testing revealed that FT had a positive effect on extraversion at the FC mean and +1 SD, and a negative effect on agreeableness with FC at +1 SD. In conclusion, adolescent male athletes with a higher serum FT concentration tended to express higher extraversion, but lower neuroticism and anxiety. The FT association with extraversion was moderated by FC concentration, as was agreeableness. Therefore, high-FT athletes presented a behavioural disposition that favours dominance and resiliency, with some dependencies on FC availability. Since all association effect sizes were weak, replicate studies on larger adolescent samples are needed.
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