Abstract
Sports performance is shaped by the interaction of various factors, including the athlete’s personality,
psychological skills and psychophysiological performance. The aim of this study was to develop a multifactorial profile of athletes, combining personality traits, psychological skills and psychophysiological
performance indicators. An additional aim was to investigate the differences between team and
individual sports athletes and at different levels of achievements. A total of 304 (female and
male) athletes completed standardized assessments of personality traits, psychological skills and
psychophysiological performance, including reaction time, stress tolerance, impulsivity, decisiveness
and performance consistency. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between athletes
taking into account the type of sport (individual vs. team), as well as the level of sport (elite, pre-elite,
amateur). Cluster analysis identified four distinct athlete multi-factorial profiles. Qualitative validation
by an expert panel confirmed that these profiles reflect recognizable athlete types in real training and
competition contexts, providing recommendations for the implementation of practical interventions.
Integrating personality, psychological skills, and psychophysiological performance indicators provides
a comprehensive understanding of how athletes perform under different performance demands.
These four multi-factorial profiles offer a practical framework for individual training, psychological
preparation, and identification of potential risks.
psychological skills and psychophysiological performance. The aim of this study was to develop a multifactorial profile of athletes, combining personality traits, psychological skills and psychophysiological
performance indicators. An additional aim was to investigate the differences between team and
individual sports athletes and at different levels of achievements. A total of 304 (female and
male) athletes completed standardized assessments of personality traits, psychological skills and
psychophysiological performance, including reaction time, stress tolerance, impulsivity, decisiveness
and performance consistency. Multivariate analysis revealed significant differences between athletes
taking into account the type of sport (individual vs. team), as well as the level of sport (elite, pre-elite,
amateur). Cluster analysis identified four distinct athlete multi-factorial profiles. Qualitative validation
by an expert panel confirmed that these profiles reflect recognizable athlete types in real training and
competition contexts, providing recommendations for the implementation of practical interventions.
Integrating personality, psychological skills, and psychophysiological performance indicators provides
a comprehensive understanding of how athletes perform under different performance demands.
These four multi-factorial profiles offer a practical framework for individual training, psychological
preparation, and identification of potential risks.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 4949 |
| Journal | Scientific Reports |
| Volume | 16 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 9 Jan 2026 |
Keywords*
- Athlete profiling
- Personality
- Psychological skills
- Psychophysiological performance
Field of Science*
- 3.3 Health sciences
Publication Type*
- 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database