Profiling Personality to Predict Athletes' Academic Achievement: Cross-Cultural Analysis

Research using latent profile analysis (LPA) has yielded inconsistent results regarding the number of personality profiles among athletes, the specific configuration of the Big Five traits, and their interpretation. This study seeks to explore personality types by excluding additional variables from the LPA model, aiming to assess how well personality profiles are universal (independent of gender and cultural context) and can predict academic achievement in student athletes. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire among 424 student athletes from two universities in Poland and Ukraine. The average age of participants was 20 years old (M = 20.01; SD = 2.48), 62% were male, 53% lived in Poland, and 58% studied Sports Sciences vs. 42% Physical Education. The Mini-International Personality Item Pool (Mini-IPIP) was used to assess the Big Five personality traits, and grade point average (GPA) was used to measure students' academic achievements in the last semester. The LPA identified four personality profiles: (1) Restrained Neurotic (Profile 1, 32%), Open Extravert (Profile 2, 42%), Competitive Neurotic (Profile 3, 17%), and Cooperative Perfectionist (Profile 4, 8%). Profiles 1, 3, and 4 showed similarly low levels of emotional stability, extraversion, and intellect but differed significantly in agreeableness and conscientiousness. Gender and country differences across athletes representing specific profiles were also noted. Profile 2 showed the strongest link with academic achievement. Hierarchical multiple linear regression showed that LPA profiles explained only 2% of GPA variance, compared to Big Five personality traits (9%) and demographic variables, such as sex, country, and study major (8%), which were also included in the following steps in the regression model, explaining only 9% and 8%, respectively. Most student athletes (52%) with personality profiles 1 (Restrained Neurotic), 3 (Competitive Neurotic), and 4 (Cooperative Perfectionist) may require psychological training to better cope with negative emotions and stress arising in competitive and academic settings. Profile 2 (Open Extravert) seems to be the most adaptive and potentially successful personality type. Personality types are, at least to some extent, related to gender and country of residence. More cross-cultural research is required to further verify the types of athletic personalities.