In response to : Is it possible to teach a person to have a more competitive attitude (personality)? If so, how? If not, why not?
I think that it is possible to guide an athlete into being more competitive or to enjoy competition at the typical repose and role related level of personality (R. Martens, 1975), but I don't think that we can teach an athlete to have a more competitive personality at their psychological core. I think that some athletes are born with an internal drive to compete, while others simply come out on teams to "play" the sport. I think that by giving athletes who do not have a sense of competition at their psychological core, experiences to win, that they might begin to have a more competitive attitude. I also think that that when athletes experience skill successes, personal skill growths, or when they feel competent at a skill, that their sense of competition, or drive to compete can increase. I also think that when athletes are surrounded by teammates who are competitive that their own typical and dynamic personalities can shift to be more like their teammates through shared goals and peer pressures.
R. Martens, 1975, Social psychology and physical activity (New York: Harper & Row), 146
Weinburg, R. & Gould, D. (2015). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (6th ed). Human Kinetics.
I think that it is possible to guide an athlete into being more competitive or to enjoy competition at the typical repose and role related level of personality (R. Martens, 1975), but I don't think that we can teach an athlete to have a more competitive personality at their psychological core. I think that some athletes are born with an internal drive to compete, while others simply come out on teams to "play" the sport. I think that by giving athletes who do not have a sense of competition at their psychological core, experiences to win, that they might begin to have a more competitive attitude. I also think that that when athletes experience skill successes, personal skill growths, or when they feel competent at a skill, that their sense of competition, or drive to compete can increase. I also think that when athletes are surrounded by teammates who are competitive that their own typical and dynamic personalities can shift to be more like their teammates through shared goals and peer pressures.
R. Martens, 1975, Social psychology and physical activity (New York: Harper & Row), 146
Weinburg, R. & Gould, D. (2015). Foundations of Sport and Exercise Psychology (6th ed). Human Kinetics.