Achievement goal orientation profiles in high-performance soccer players in relation to their personality structures

Abstract Background Among the various determinants of performance in soccer, motivational factors play a significant role. Personality traits, among other factors, can have an important impact on shaping motivation in sports. Therefore, the aim of our study was to identify more complex relationships between personality traits and achievement goal orientation in soccer players. In particular, we assessed the relationships between personality trait profiles and goal orientation profiles among athletes. Methods A correlational research model was used to study 129 soccer players aged 16–19 recruited from leading Polish clubs in their respective age categories. The NEO-FFI questionnaire was used to assess “Big Five” personality traits, while the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ) was used to measure achievement goal orientation. Results Among personality traits, conscientiousness was the strongest correlate of achievement goal orientation in soccer players. A statistically significant relationship was found between personality trait profiles and goal orientation profiles (χ 2 = 21.74, p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.41). A favorable personality profile, characterized by reduced neuroticism and increased extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, was associated with a favorable goal orientation profile combining high levels of task and ego orientation, and it was rarely associated with less favorable motivational trait combinations involving low ego and reduced task or high ego and low task orientation. In contrast, a less favorable personality profile characterized by increased neuroticism and reduced levels of extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness was less strongly associated with a specific goal orientation profile. Conclusions Based on personality traits, it was possible to point fairly well to a goal orientation profile favorable for soccer players, i.e., high task orientation and high ego orientation. The favorable personality profile showed a stronger association with players’ specific motivation profiles than the less favorable personality profile. Our findings confirm that personality traits may play a relevant role in soccer and indicate that they warrant consideration in future studies of the motivation-building process in soccer players.