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Temperament, personality and decision-making accuracy in handball referees
Jacek Świdwa1, Magdalena Król-Zielińska1, Adam Kantanista1
1Department of Physical Education and Lifelong Sports, Poznan University of Physical Education, Poznań, Poland.
Plos One
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Handball referee decision accuracy is mainly linked to competitive level. While Sensory Sensitivity and Activity temperament traits may play a role, personality traits did not significantly impact accuracy.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Psychology
- Officiating Studies
Background:
- Accurate decision-making is crucial for handball referees.
- The relationship between psychological traits and referee decision accuracy is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between temperament and personality characteristics and decision-making accuracy in handball referees.
- To identify psychological factors influencing officiating performance.
Main Methods:
- Forty-one handball referees from various competition levels completed temperament (FCB-TI) and personality (NEO-FFI) inventories.
- Decision-making accuracy was evaluated using a video-based test of game situations.
- Statistical analyses included bivariate correlations and multiple regression.
Main Results:
- Competitive level significantly predicted decision-making accuracy, explaining 24% of the variance.
- Sensory Sensitivity showed a positive correlation with accuracy (r=0.32, p<0.05).
- Adding Sensory Sensitivity increased explained variance to 30%, but its unique contribution was not statistically significant. Activity showed varied associations across levels. Big Five personality traits were not significantly related to accuracy.
Conclusions:
- Competitive level is the primary factor associated with handball referee decision-making accuracy.
- Temperament traits like Sensory Sensitivity and Activity may also influence accuracy, warranting further investigation.
- Stable personality traits (Big Five) do not appear to be significant predictors of decision accuracy in this context.
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