Investigating the Relationship between Big Five Personality Traits and Sports Performance among Disabled Athletes

Abstract

Awareness of the psychological issues of different groups of society can help in the management of sports programs and thus improve their athletic performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the big five personality traits and the sports performance of disabled athletes in team sports. Three hundred and seventy-six team athletes participated in the study. Subjects completed a questionnaire of five major personality factors, and based on the information available on the provincial boards and the Veterans and Disabled Federation, the positions obtained by each athlete were considered as a criterion for sports performance. There was a significant relationship between the flexibility factor for men and women (r = 0.123, p = 0.017), neuroticism (r = 0.114, p = 0.027), adaptation (r = 0.171, p = 0.001), extraversion (r = 0.157, p = 0.002), duty orientation (r = 0.104, p = 0.045), and sports performance at a national level. There was a significant relationship between neuroticism (r = 0.142, p = 0.006), adaptation (r = 0.133, p = 0.010), extraversion (r = 0.163, p = 0.002), and duty orientation (r = 0.130, p = 0.011) with sports performance at a provincial level. There was a significant relationship between neuroticism (r = 0.156, p = 0.002), extraversion (r = 0.168, p = 0.001), duty orientation (r = 0.182, p = 0.001), and sports performance at international level. Disabled athletes seem to have above-average performance scores in most personality factors, which can improve their physical health and increase their success in sports.