Associations Between Psychological Profiles and Performance Success Among Professional Taekwondo Athletes in China: A Multidimensional Scaling Profile Analysis

Abstract

Sport psychology research has long sought to uncover the determinants of the optimal psychological state for peak performance. Persistent inquiries in this work include whether there is a set of ideal psychological and emotional factors that are required to achieve optimal performance and, if there are, what are they and how are they related to optimal performance. To answer these questions, the current study aimed to identify potential profiles of personality and emotional traits based on a sample of professional Taekwondo athletes from China. In addition, the study also aimed to examine the utility of the profiles in predicting successful athlete performance. Using multidimensional scaling (MDS) profile analysis, two latent profiles of personality and emotional traits were identified that indicate four subtypes of athletes. Regression analyses were conducted to examine how the identified profiles were associated with performance success. The results seemed to suggest that Taekwondo athletes with more performance success were more likely to have a profile of positive personality and emotional traits, while athletes with less performance success were likely to have somewhat elevated levels of self-control, extraversion, and aggression. Knowledge of athletes' personality profiles will help sport psychologists develop suitable interventions to enhance athletes' performance success. In concluding, the results are discussed in the context of athlete psychosocial development. The study added further evidence about the association between psychological and emotional factors and successful Taekwondo athletes.

Keywords: Taekwondo athletes; emotional traits; multidimensional scaling profile analysis; performance success; psychological profiles.

FIGURE 1

Two profiles of personality and emotional traits. (A) Profile 1 is defined by athlete self-efficacy, deliberate action, extraversion, healthy habits, impulse control, and work ethic at the positive end and by anger, depression, envy, hostility, loneliness, verbal attack, and physical attack at the negative end. (B) Profile 2 is defined by athlete self-efficacy, extraversion, verbal attack, and physical attack at the positive end and by conscientiousness, depression, loneliness, neuroticism, and impulse control at the negative end. The vertical bar indicates 95% confidence interval.

FIGURE 2

Association between performance success or standing and (A) Profile 1 and (B) Profile 2. Value on x-axis is a profile match index, with a positive number indicating the positive end of the profile and a negative number indicating the negative end of the profile.