Personality and Injury Risk in Professional Hockey Players
Author Information
Author(s): Zachary H. Osborn, Paul D. Blanton, David C. Schwebel
Primary Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham
Hypothesis
Professional athletes with high sensation-seeking and extraversion scores, and with low effortful control scores, would experience more injuries over the course of a season.
Conclusion
Athletes who suffered more injuries reported a preference for stimulating environments and boredom with non-stimulating environments.
Supporting Evidence
- Players experienced an average of almost 6 injuries causing a loss of 10 playing days.
- High scores in Boredom Susceptibility and Total Sensation-Seeking were linked to more injuries.
- High neutral perceptual sensitivity was associated with more severe injuries.
Takeaway
Some hockey players get hurt more often because they like exciting things and get bored easily. This means they might take more risks.
Methodology
The study tracked injuries over an 18-week season and used questionnaires to assess personality and temperament.
Potential Biases
The reliance on self-reported measures may introduce bias.
Limitations
The small sample size limited statistical power, and the study was conducted on a single team, which may not represent all hockey players.
Participant Demographics
All participants were male, Caucasian, aged 21-33, with 94% being native English speakers.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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