2. Profile of Mood States
(Morgan 1979)
 A test designed to measure certain
psychological traits.
 Profile Of Mood States (POMS) is a popular
tool among sport psychologists who have
used it to compare the prevailing moods of
elite athletes and non-athletes.

3. Six mood states are used;
 Tension
 Depression
 Anger
 Vigour
 Fatigue
 Confusion
Subjects are given a score for each trait according to
their responses to certain statements which include
key words such as unhappy, tense, careless, and
cheerful.

4. POMS
 For each statement, subjects state how they
feel at that moment, or how they felt over the
previous day, few days, or week, by choosing
one of the following responses: not at all; a
little; moderately; quite a lot; extremely

5. Applied to sports
performers
 Elite athletes from different sports tend to
score below average for negative states such
as tension, depression, fatigue, and
confusion; and score well above average on
vigour.

6. Applied to sports
performers
 When presented on a graph, the POMS
profile for these elite athletes assumes a
characteristic shape that has been called the
‘iceberg’ profile; the better the athlete, the
more pronounced the profile (figure 53).

7. Iceberg Profile

8. Over-training
 POMS may be used to diagnose overtraining
because the shape of the profile becomes
inverted when an athlete over-trains.

9. Personality Structure – Hollander
(1971)
Psychological
Core
Hollander (1971)
Psychological Core
 Beliefs and values that remain more or less
permanent
Typical Responses
 The way in which an individual responds in
certain situations
 Usual way we respond to the environment.
 Learned & stored experience. LH
 Responses may indicate the nature of the core.
Role Related Behaviour
 In other situations we may behave differently
 Can be changed at any time
Social Environment
 How the behaviour and expectations of others
affect our role

10. Exam Questions
 It was previously thought that certain personality
types tended to become involved in particular
sports: therefore, those participating in a triathlon
may have shared common personality
characteristics.

 (c) In terms of personality, explain what is meant by
trait and interactionist theories. (3 marks)

 (d) One aspect of personality is achievement
motivation. What are the characteristics of an
individual with a motive to achieve success? (4
marks)

11. Answer…….
(c) 1. Traits . innate/inherited/stable/enduring factors;
2. Same personality in all situations/pre-disposition to behave in the same
way;
Sub max 2 marks
3. Interactionist . concerned with traits;
4. And interaction with the situation;
5. B = f (P.E.). Sub max 2 marks
3 marks
(d) 1. Seek out challenging situations;
2. Concerned with high standards of performance;
3. Task persistence;
4. Approach behaviours;
5. Enjoy evaluative situations;

12. Personality profiling and biomechanical analysis can be
used to prepare performers who compete at the highest
level. Morgan’s Profile of Mood State (POMS) is a
questionnaire given to performers to establish their
relative measures on the six mental health states of
fatigue, vigour, tension, depression, anger and
confusion.
2
a. Research has shown that the profile for POMS differs
between elite and non-elite performers. Describe these
differences. (3 marks)
b. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using
questionnaires to provide psychological information? (4
marks)

13. 2 (a) 1. Elite score higher on vigour/anger;
2. No difference/lower on other scores for both elite and non elite;
3. Iceberg profile;
4. Iceberg profile does not guarantee an elite performer 3 marks
(Credit annotated diagrams showing iceberg profile)
(b) Advantages
1. High researcher: respondent ratio/lots of subjects at a time/quick/efficient;
2. Cheap/cost effective;
3. Numerical/objective measures achieved;
4. Reliable. Sub max of 3 marks
(Do not credit easy)
Disadvantages
5. Weak validity/non specific/too general/too simplistic for complex areas;
6. Tendency to give expected answer/lie/respond with demand characteristics/biased
questions;
7. Difficult to self-assess;
8. Ambiguous questions/misinterpretation. Sub max of 3 marks
4 marks

14.  The outcome of a sprint race may be
determined by a performer’s personality and
ability to overcome and generate forces to
provide acceleration and maintain velocity.
 The performance and behaviour of sports
performers may be affected by their
personalities.
 Discuss this statement, using suitable
examples, with reference to both trait and
interactionist theories of personality. (7
marks)

15. Trait theory
1. Inherited characteristics/born with/innate/genetic;
2. Stable/enduring/unchanging;
3. Same behaviour in a variety of situations;
4. Behaviour is predictable.
5. E.g. aggressive in all situations/extrovert in all situations/etc.
Sub max 4 marks
Interactionist theory
6. B = f (PE)/behaviour is a function of personality and environment;
7. Inherited traits are amended by environment/situation;
8. Leads to stable behaviour in a certain situation;
9. Change environment change behaviour.
10. Eg: normally calm, but becomes aggressive in sport environment.
sub max 4 marks
7 marks