Class XII – Psychology and Sports -PYQs

Ans. The personality type on the basis of physical attributes is given by William Herbert Sheldon. These are as follows:

(i) Endomorphs: They have a pear-shaped and rounded physique. They have short arms and legs. They are more inclined to become obese.

They are most suitable for activities in which great strength is required. Sports like weight-lifting and power-lifting are most suitable for endomorphs.

(ii) Ectomorphs: They are usually referred to as skim persons because their muscles and limbs are elongated. They have great difficulty in gaining weight.

They have flat chest and have less muscle mass. They are best suited for games and sports like gymnastics.

(iii) Mesomorphs: They are somewhere between endomorph and ectomorph.

They have broad shoulders, narrow waist (wedge shaped), muscular body, strong limbs and average body fat.

They are well proportioned. They are physically capable of doing a lot of activities and tend to be athletically aggressive. They are adventurous, energetic and competitive.

Ans. Motivation means a process through which an individual is inspired or stimulated to act in a particular fashion or manner towards a particular direction. Techniques of motivation for higher achievement in sports are as follows

(i) Active Participation: Active involvement of the coach/teacher develops healthy competition and interaction between the students. Teachers are able to identify the problems and explain how to solve those problems.

(ii) Rewards: Announcing rewards that will be given, once the tasks are completed successfully, has a great effect on a person’s performance.

For example, parents giving chocolates to their children for good performance. Rewards are of various types and help in achieving the goal. Like cash, prize, job, professional security, honour, social status, etc.

Ans. The three techniques of intrinsic motivation are as follows:

(i) Knowledge of the Goal: It is one of the most important techniques of motivation. A person should be made aware about the attainment of the goal. The player should be acquainted well with the aim and objectives of the goal.

For example, telling the player that the goal is to cover 100 m distance in shortest time. In this, knowledge of the goal helps the player to reach towards it.

(ii) Equipment and Surroundings: Modern equipment and healthy surroundings like well-maintained playgrounds, latest sports equipment’s, etc., act as motivating factors for high performance.

(iii) Positive Attitude: Positive attitude enhances the level of intrinsic motivation and helps in accepting external motivation. Sportsperson with positive attitude gives his/her best to win its game. Such people always show confidence in themselves despite having difficult situations. Coaches and trainers also play an important role in imparting positive attitude.

Ans. There are three types of aggression in sports. They are as follows:

(i) Instrumental Aggression: The main aim is to achieve a goal by using aggression. For example, a footballer is using aggression to tackle his opponent by high intensity play without harming anyone.

(ii) Hostile Aggression: The main aim is to cause harm or injury to the opponent. It is usually unplanned, impulsive reaction. For example, a bowler throwing a bouncer to deliberately injure the batsman.

(ii) Assertive Behaviour: It is also referred as assertive aggression. It is generally seen as a positive form of aggression. In ground, it simply means to stand up for your values in an unthreatening manner, and involves the use of legitimate physical or verbal force to achieve once’s goals.

Ans. The word ‘personality’ is derived from Latin word ‘persona’ meaning ‘the mask’. In ancient Greece, the actors used to wear masks to hide their identities while portraying their roles in a theatrical play.

To an ordinary person, the word ‘personality’ conveys the meaning of one’s physical appearance, his habits, his ways of dressing, his reputation, his manners and other similar characteristics.

Sports plays an important role in developing the personality in the following ways

(i) Development of Physique: A good physique can be developed by regular training which becomes simple by participation in sports. A well-built physique exhibits good personality that is attractive and impressive.

(ii) Relieve Stress: Stress can be relieved by playing any type of sport. Sports help one combat anxiety, depression and stress. When the stress is relieved from the person, it improves the personality of that person.

(iii) Social Skills: Sports help in developing social skills as players play together bond with each other, share their problems and worries as well as cooperate with each other.

(iv) Discipline: Sports help in making a person disciplined as it is essential to practise, complete all the tasks on time without fear of failure. This helps in making of a good personality.

Ans. Personality trait refers to the quality or characteristics that describes a personality. In order to classify different personalities, they are divided into five parts which is known as the big five personality model.

Each part of the model describes a personality trait which is as follows:

(i) Openness: It refers to how a person is inclined to face cultural norms. Its characteristics are imagination, insight, creativity, adventurous and abstract thinking. They are open to change.

(ii) Conscientiousness: It refers to dutiful and disciplined life. The characteristics include high level of thoughtfulness, good impulse control, goal directed behaviours and risk taking ability.

(iii) Extroversion: It refers to the type of emotional expression and attitude. Its characteristics include socialability, talkative and assertiveness. It shows how social a person is, or how loving, caring and warm.

(iv) Agreeableness: It refers to the attributes like cooperation, kindness, trust, affection and other social behaviours. It also shows being dependable, trustworthy and caring personality.

(v) Neuroticism: It refers to nervousness, worrying nature and anxiety. The characteristics are sadness, moodiness, emotional instability and irritability.

Ans. As opposed to intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation is more goal oriented and seeks a desired outcome and sometimes may kill intrinsic motivation as it arises from external influence and is used as a substitute in the absence of intrinsic motivation.

Ans. Endomorphs have a heavier build and will have extra fat on body parts such as the arms and thighs. Their temperament, shows a relaxed, easy-going, fun-loving and sociable nature. They like to hang-out with people, eat good food and are tolerant and affectionate. But mesomorphs are likely to have an athletic physique. Their shoulders are broad, chest narrow, arms and legs strong. Their temperament is associated with adventurousness, courageousness, assertiveness, and competitiveness.

Ans. Realistic goals are what we need. Realism and goal setting – realistic goals – is another natural step in the setting goal process. With being realistic we are now focussing how we can make the goal come true in our life. Reality, therefore, plays a vital role in setting our goals.

Ans. Intrinsic motivation is one that seeks internal rewards and rises from within the individual.

It does not depend on external pressures or considerations. Rather, it arises naturally and provides the individual enjoyment in the execution of the task.

Ans. Goal setting is a development of an action plan designed to motivate a person.

Ans. A person showing hostile behaviour intends to solely harm the opponent. They are driven by anger and their act is impulsive. A hostile aggressor finds validation for her/his behaviour in the pain and injury caused to the other party.

Ans. Posture is the position in which we hold our body upright against gravity while standing, sitting, walking, running or lying down. The force of gravity acts upon our body are weak, we may suffer from postural deformities such as kyphosis, lordosis, scoliosis, bow legs, knock knee, flatfoot, etc. It is because of these deformities; our working efficiency usually gets reduced.

Personality refers to an individual’s characteristic patterns of thought, emotion and behaviour together with the psychological mechanism hidden or not behind those patterns. Based on these differences, it is wrong to say that posture and the personality are the same. Personality is a psychological system that shape her/his mind and influences her/his behavioural expression while the posture is static and dynamic. It is a homeostatic mechanism that can be voluntary controlled to a significant extent by bone adjustments. Hence, the proverb can be justified.

Ans. Personality is a complete unit in itself and are composed of:

• Physical dimension
• Mental dimension
• Social dimension and
• Emotional dimension

(i) Emotional dimension: Every person has various emotions like pleasure, hope, hate, anger, luster, etc. If an individual does not have appropriate control over these emotions, he may become abnormal and uncontrollable. There are many situations in sports where sports persons show their emotional status. Emotional stability plays a very important part of one’s personality. Therefore, sports and games do help in developing these emotions and tend to enable them to have proper control over these emotions.

(ii) Mental dimension: Sports and games provide ample opportunities for individual to participate in creative experience. There is no doubt that individuals learn to make judgements, utilize reflective and creative thinking and obtain knowledge about the rules and regulations of games and sports

Ans. It is a known fact that motivation is the cause of our actions, desires and needs and, therefore, it drives our goal-oriented behaviour. Once the student is able to accomplish small targets, she/he can move on to bigger goals, such as getting into the school or local sports teams, for which she/he will have to carve extra time from her/his daily schedule. To be a successful person, even at this stage, commitment is necessary. Focus can be maintained by keeping the ultimate destination in mind and envisioning the feeling of satisfaction and pride that will come along with victory. ‘Goal oriented’ applies to all kind of activities not just missions and long-term visions.

Ans. Personality is a psychological system that shapes the mind and influences the behavioural expression. The different dimensions of personality are:

• Physical dimension: It is considered the most important dimension of personality. All individuals are impressed by persons who have good physique. We know that physical structure of an individual is related to the heredity but certain traits of one’s personality can be improved in certain environment.
• Social dimension: It also plays a very important role in personality dimensions. A good personality is one which is sociable. There are some important and essential traits of personality which includes character, etiquettes, work ethics, attitude, cooperation, sympathy, kindness, etc. these traits are developed in the surroundings where he brought up.
• Emotional dimension: Every person has various emotions like pleasure, hope, hate, anger, luster, etc. If an individual does not have appropriate control over these emotions, he may become abnormal and uncontrollable. There are many situations in sports where sportspersons show their emotional status. Emotional stability plays a very important part of one’s personality. Therefore, sports and games do help in developing these emotions and tend to enable them to have proper control over these emotions.
• Mental dimension: Sports and games provide ample opportunities for individual to participate in creative experience. There is no doubt that individuals learn to make judgements, utilize reflective and creative thinking and obtain knowledge about the rules and regulations of games and sports.

Ans. Sports play an important role in the development of personality of an individual. They are as significant as that of a balanced diet. At an individual level, sports and games act as an indispensable vehicle which leads to physical, mental, social, emotional and moral development of that individual. Sports play a vital role in the harmonious development or all-round development of personality of an individual. Hence, we justify that sports and games contribute towards all-round development like physically, mentally, intellectually, socially and emotionally.

Ans. Intrinsic motivation is one that seeks internal rewards and rises from within the individual.

It does not depend on external pressures or considerations. Rather, it arises naturally and provides the individual enjoyment in the execution of the task. Intrinsic motivation is crucial for cognitive, social and physical development while if we discuss about extrinsic motivation, it is opposite to intrinsic motivation as more goal-oriented and seeks a desired outcome. It arises from external influence and is used as a substitute in the absence of intrinsic motivation. This is always associated with rewards and punishments.

Techniques of motivations are described below:

• Goal setting: It says that people will be motivated to the extent to which they accept specific challenging goals and receive feedback that indicates their progress towards goal achievement.
• Reinforcement theory: Reinforcement theory is based on “law of effect”, which is the idea that behaviours are selected by their consequences. This theory overlooks the internal state of an individual.

Ans. The roles of sports psychologists varies depending their nature of qualifications or other qualities. However, the main role of psychologist for preparing a team to participate in competition can be listed as under to help athletes cope with performance.

• Help athletes to improve mental skills for performance
• Help athletes to prepare for competition
• Help athletes come back after injury
• Help athletes to improve practice efficiently.
• Help athletes cope with performance fears.

Ans. Classification of personality by William Herbert Sheldon.

• Ectomorphy with cerebrotonia: Ectomorphs have narrow shoulders, thin arms and legs, slim and slender, their diet notwithstanding. They are socially awkward and tend to prefer solitude to company, but are also creative and intellectual. Medically, this pattern of temperament is termed cerebrotonia
• Mesomorphy with somatotonia: Mesomorphs are likely to have an athletic physique. Their shoulders are broad, chest narrow, arms and legs strong. They have more muscle than fat. Somatotonia is the name of the temperament associated with mesomorphs. It consists of traits such as adventurousness, courageousness, assertiveness and competitiveness.
• Endomorphy with viscerotonia: Endomorphs have a round body characterised by wide hips, narrow shoulders and skinny ankles and wrists. They have a heavier build and will have extra fat on body parts such as the arms and thighs. Their temperament, called viscerotonia, shows a relaxed, easy-going, fun-loving and sociable nature. They like to hang-out with people, eat good food and are tolerant and affectionate.

Importance of Sheldon’s classification of personality in physical education and sports.

Sports play an important role in the development of personality of a person. They are as significant as that of a balanced diet. At an individual level sports and games play a vital role in the harmonious development or all round development of personality of an individual. We can in other words say that sports and games contribute a lot towards the development of personality like: physical development, mental development, social development and emotional development.