Selected personality characteristics and activity participation of male college freshmen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine college intramural participation, high school athletic participation, activity interest, activity participation, and selected personality characteristics of freshman college male intramural participants and nonparticipants at Texas A&M University. Further, it was the purpose of this study to determine differences between college intramural participants and nonparticipants in high school activity participation, high school athletic participation, and selected personality characteristics. Procedure: Data for this study were obtained from 950 male college freshman students enrolled in Texas A&M University's required freshman physical education "concepts" course during the fall and spring semesters of the 1968-1969 school year. The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule was the psychological measuring instrument used in the study. It is designed to describe the personality by ascertaining the needs for Achievement, Deference, Order, Exhibition, Autonomy, Affiliation, Intraception, Succorance, Dominance, Abasement, Nurturance, Change, Endurance, Heterosexuality, and Aggression. An Information Check List developed by the investigator also was used in this investigation. This instrument contained a list of 37 activities for the purpose of determining high school activity participation and interest in learning new physical activities. The check list also contained a short list of questions to determine the degree of activity participation by each subject. Personal feelings toward physical education and intramural sports also were included on the questionnaire....