College Honors Program

Date of Creation

Spring 5-8-2026

Degree Type

Thesis

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Michael Creane

Second Advisor

Lindsey Caola

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine how the facets (Kitchenham, L. et al., 2019) and aspects (Roberts et al., 2005) of conscientiousness influence collegiate athletes and how this understanding can be applied to the development of athletes and coaches. Like everyone else, student-athletes face daily stressors that can hinder their performance both in the classroom and on the field. Personality traits play a significant role in an individual's ability to manage these stressors (Lopes Dos Santos, M., 2020). This study examined conscientiousness, one of the Big Five Personality Traits defined by McCrae and Costa (1986), which is characterized by “the propensity to follow socially prescribed norms for impulse control, goal-directed behavior, planning, and delaying gratification” (Jackson et al., 2010). Previous studies have shown that conscientiousness is strongly correlated with both academic and athletic performance across various populations (Yang J.H., et al., 2024). Using the Big Five Inventory (BFI), this study examined student-athletes’ levels of conscientiousness and how they respond to different items pertaining to conscientiousness in sport. I hypothesized that using IRT for measuring personality traits as a measure of sport preparation would be a valid and effective approach. This would indicate which specific activities or characteristics contribute to higher athletic performance. Furthermore, I hypothesized that there would be a hierarchical component to the proactive and inhibitive aspects of conscientiousness and these aspects would not influence conscientiousness equally.

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