Personality and performance in soccer: gender differences during the COVID-19 quarantine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24310/riccafd.14.3.2025.21639Keywords:
big five, university football players, sport psychology, perceived performanceAbstract
This study investigates the relationship between personality traits, based on the Big Five model, and sports performance in university soccer players. The sample consisted of 40 athletes, evenly distributed between 20 female players and 20 male players, aged between 18 and 25 years, all belonging to the representative soccer teams of the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL). Participants were selected from various positions on the field, including goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. To assess personality traits, the Big Five Inventory (BFI) was employed, while sports performance was measured through an ad hoc questionnaire designed for the coaches of both teams. Given the context of inactivity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a correlation was conducted between the players' personality traits and their perceived performance. The results revealed that forwards exhibited a greater inclination towards the traits of conscientiousness and agreeableness, while defenders and midfielders showed higher scores in agreeableness. Goalkeepers were predominantly associated with the trait of openness to experience. Overall, the trait of agreeableness demonstrated a significant correlation with perceived sports performance in both teams. This study highlights the importance of considering personality traits in the development and optimization of sports performance in university athletes, while also emphasizing the need for future research that includes larger samples and diverse competitive contexts.
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