title: Activation of self-focus and self-presentation traits under private, mixed, and public pressure.
abstract: Trait activation theorists suggest that situational demands activate traits in (pressure) situations. In a comparison of situational demands of private (monetary incentive, cover story), mixed (monetary incentive, small audience), and public (large audience, video taping) high-pressure situations, we hypothesized that situational demands of private and mixed high-pressure conditions would activate self-focus traits and those of a public high-pressure condition would activate self-presentation traits. Female handball players (N = 120) completed personality questionnaires and then performed a throwing task in a low-pressure condition and one of three high-pressure conditions (n = 40). Increased anxiety levels from low to high pressure indicated successful pressure manipulations. A self-focus trait negatively predicted performance in private and mixed high-pressure conditions, and self-presentation traits positively predicted performance in the public high-pressure condition. Thus, pressure situations differed in their trait-activating situational demands. Experimental research investigating the trait-performance relationship should therefore use simulations of real competitions over laboratory-based scenarios.
authors: Faculty of Psychology and with the Faculty of Sport Science, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Geukes
authors: Christopher
authors: C
authors: Mesagno
authors: Stephanie J
authors: SJ
authors: Hanrahan
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Kellmann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009289:Narcissism; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013177:Sports / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult