PERSONALITY PROFILE OF NIGERIAN MALE ATHLETES IN SELECTED SPORTS

The study utilized 4 sports namely: Basketball & Volleyball as team sports and Athletics (Track & Field) and Swimming as individual sports. All participants were males. Two personality inventories namely: Eysenck Personality Questionnaire and Sixteen Personality Factor questionnaire were employed in carrying out the study. A total of 96 male athletes and 24 male athletes were drawn as subject samples. The sample subjects were matched in age and educational qualifications. Utilizing mean, SD and t-test statistical techniques differences were found between athletes and non-athletes as well as team and individual sports athletes. Specifically significance differences occurred between athletes and non-athletes on 16 PF factor O. showing athletes to have strong sense of obligation and expectations of themselves. Significant differences also occurred between team and individual sports athletes on EPQ factor N indicating that team sports athletes were sociable and factor O of EPQ portraying individual sports athletes as having strong sense of obligation.