Updates on Personality Dimensions in Elite Athletes: A Mini-Review

Abstract

Psychological tools, including personality questionnaires, are used in sports sciences in diverse ways. Athletes as a high-performance stratum, particularly elite athletes, could be a category of ideals in personality studies. Moreover, the results of such studies have many advantages and applications for the athletes themselves. The present mini-review summarizes the personality profiles reported in recent years in elite athletes. It presents the common characteristics of the champions, describes the differences between sports disciplines, and outlines future applications and directions. In general, it seems that the common personality characteristics of sports elites are a variety of emotional stability, especially low neuroticism, in addition to a variety of being-friendly characteristics, including reward-dependence temperament, agreeableness, helpfulness, and the ability to work in a group. Being adventurous and having experiment-seeking behavior have occasionally been reported. It is hoped that with the completion of personality studies in sports, this field will reach its ideal applications.