Although no exact definition of an “elite performer” exists, this next series of posts will attempt to determine the psychological characteristics that may lead to the classification of an athlete as being elite. This will be stepping out of my element somewhat, but its a topic that anyone working with athletes must be familiar with.

The Oxford English dictionary defines the term “elite” as being “a group regarded as superior and favored”, and although many components of sport and exercise exist, “elite” athletes tend to display certain psychological characteristics that facilitate their superior development and subsequent achievement of success. There are many determinants that influence the psychological characteristic of an athlete and the presence and interaction of these may help distinguish what constitutes an elite performer. Through an examination of current research and theories in personality, motivation, arousal and anxiety, stress and coping, as well as specific skills such as goal setting, imagery, self-talk, arousal regulation, and attention control, I will “attempt” to identify those psychological characteristics belonging to athletes and performers classified as being elite.

Part 1: Personality

No distinct personality profile exists for elite athletes. That is, not all elite athletes share the same personality traits.  Some sport performers tend to be competitive and self confident, while others tend to be the complete opposite and more reserved or laid back. This is likely so since personality seems to be composed of several different traits that combine to influence specific behaviors. Regardless, there exist several personality factors that may lead to the development of an elite performer.  This is especially so since according to the model of personality by Hollander, personality may be “a function of the psychological core that represents the foundation of an individual’s personality, as well as the role related behaviour that is dictated by the immediate situation at hand and the expectations of how one should behave”. For example, while an athlete may be a consistently hard-working individual, he may or may not demonstrate this quality based on his role on a particular team (i.e. captain versus 7^th defenseman in hockey). In the latter case, the development of an elite performer seems unlikely. What is clear however, is that the combination of a competitive nature, healthy (adaptive) perfectionism, and mental toughness (allowing athletes to cope with competition demands) may contribute to the development of elite performers. It should be noted though, that caution must be observed as personality should not be used to predict performance. Situational contexts must be respected due to the important interaction between the athlete’s internal and external environments.

Tomorrow’s post: Motivation

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