Type D personality, stress, coping and performance on a novel sport task

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sports Science
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Type D personality is characterized by negative affectivity and social inhibition.
• Understanding its impact on athletes' stress, coping, and performance is crucial for optimizing athletic well-being and success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between Type D personality, stress appraisal, coping strategies, and perceived coping effectiveness in athletes.
• To examine the association between Type D personality and athletic performance.

Main Methods:

• Study 1: 482 athletes completed questionnaires on Type D personality (DS14), stress levels, and coping strategies (MCOPE) related to a sport stressor.
• Study 2: 32 participants performed a rugby league circuit task, with assessments of pre-performance anxiety, post-performance affect, and coping behaviors.

Main Results:

• Type D personality correlated with higher perceived stress, increased use of emotion-focused and avoidance coping, and greater perceived coping effectiveness.
• Type D individuals exhibited poorer performance (reduced distance, more errors), lower self-confidence, and increased use of maladaptive resignation/withdrawal coping.

Conclusions:

• Type D personality is associated with maladaptive coping mechanisms and diminished athletic performance.
• Interventions focusing on mood management and interpersonal skills may benefit individuals with Type D personality in sports contexts.