Personality Resilience Indicators of Dispositional Mindfulness and Self-Regulation in College Athletes
Abstract
Sport psychology research relies on advancements in the measurement of psychological resilience to explore healthy and adaptive responses to conditions that present adversity among student athletes. This study examined relationships between personality, attention and self-regulation as a means to contribute a prototypical perspective of athlete resiliency that correlates with health and wellbeing under stress. A sample of 75 college student athletes completed the Big Five personality dimensions using the Big Five Inventory (BFI), the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MASS) and The Self-Regulation Scale (SRQ). A cluster-analysis of the BFI data yielded a three-cluster solution of the resilient, overcontrolled and undercontrolled personality prototypes generally found in previous research with an important exception: the highest Neuroticism score did not occur in the overcontrolled cluster, but in the undercontrolled cluster. Data analyses indicated that resilient athletes reported significantly higher overall present moment attention (M = 4.09, SD = .77) compared to both the undercontrolled [M = 3.45, SD = .49, t (45) = 3.39, p =.01] and overcontrolled groups, M=4.09, SD = .77, t(48)=3.49, p =.01. Resilient athletes were reported significantly higher self-regulation (M = 234.64, SD = 18.01) compared only to the undercontrolled group, M = 219.88, SD = 16.24, t(45) = 2.95, p = .01. No significant differences were detected between men and women on present moment attention or self-regulation. Personality prototype had a significant main effect on present moment attention [F (2,69) = 4.77, p < .01] and gender had a significant main effect on self-regulation, F(1,69) = 4.42, p <.01. However, no interaction between gender and personality prototype was detected on present moment awareness or self-regulation. Distinctive aspects of athlete resilience pertaining to present moment awareness and self-regulation, along with implications for future study of resilience and other personality prototypes in sports psychology are discussed.
Citation
Wright, Daniel Wade (2015). Personality Resilience Indicators of Dispositional Mindfulness and Self-Regulation in College Athletes. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A & M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /155367.