Gender-Specific Associations Between Kinesiology Undergraduate Students’ Trait Personality Facets and their Motivation in School Physical Education

Despite these recent knowledge advances about trait personality in a variety of settings such as physical activity and sport, little research has investigated the association between personality traits – especially the facets or subscales housed within the six main HEXACO dimensions of personality – and positive motivational outcomes in school-based PE. The aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in the facets of personality and how the facets related to and/or predicted enjoyment, autonomy-support, self-efficacy, positive affect, and
task and ego goal orientation through 300 university students’ survey recollections of their experiences in high school physical education. Results revealed a main effect difference in the personality facets by gender (p < .001) with women higher in fairness, greed-avoidance, modesty, fearfulness, anxiety, dependence, sentimentality, sociability, organization, and perfectionism whereas men were higher in inquisitiveness and social boldness. Facet predictors of motivational outcomes were social self esteem (four overall and four in women), fairness and aesthetic appreciation (two each, overall), greed avoidance (two in women), diligence (three in men), and sincerity, forgiveness, and gentleness (two each in men). Overall and by gender, students in physical education may be more motivationally at risk if they have non-availing levels of these personality facets.

Keywords: Autonomy Support, Enjoyment, Goal Orientation, Positive Affect, Self-Efficacy.