Background/Purpose It has been well documented that increases in pressure have affected athletes' performances both positively and negatively (Cao, Price & Stone, 2011; Cooke, Kavussanu, McIntyre, Boardley & Ring, 2011; Geukes, Mesagno, Hanrahan, & Kellmann, 2012; Jackson, Ashford & Norsworthy, 2006; Mesagno, Marchant & Morris, 2008; Otten, 2009; Wilson, Chattington, Marple-Horvat & Smith, 2007; Wilson & Smith, 2007; Wilson, Smith & Holmes, 2007.)The purpose of this research was to understand the difference between strengths of personality traits of “clutch” and “non-clutch” athletes.
Method Subjects included 26 NCAA Division I Football athletes identified by their head coach as either “clutch” or “non-clutch". Each athlete completed a modified Professional DynaMetrics Programs (PDP) ProScan® survey to identify strengths of personality traits and accommodations made to those strengths in high pressure game situations. An in-depth interview was conducted with the head coach to understand how he selected each athlete into their respective categories.
Analysis/Results Results suggest that there are clear differences between the “clutch” and “non-clutch” student-athletes in each personality trait including dominance, extroversion, pace, conformity, and energy style. Themes include (1) the high dominance/low pace/low conformity connection and (2) the thrust/allegiance impact on performance under pressure.
Conclusions By understanding strengths of athletes' personalities, coaches could more easily predict which athletes would perform better under pressure situations.