aggression, personality and motivation

Answer: Direct aggression is aimed directly at another person with physical contact and intent to harm, e.g. a rugby player punching an opponent during a maul. Indirect aggression does not involve direct physical contact with the victim - it may be verbal abuse, psychological intimidation, or aggression towards objects, e.g. a tennis player smashing their racket or verbally abusing an opponent from across the net.

Answer: Direct aggression is aimed directly at another person with physical contact and intent to harm, e.g. a rugby player punching an opponent during a maul. Indirect aggression does not involve direct physical contact with the victim - it may be verbal abuse, psychological intimidation, or aggression towards objects, e.g. a tennis player smashing their racket or verbally abusing an opponent from across the net.

Answer: Introverts prefer individual sports because they enjoy solitary, focused activities where they can concentrate in a quiet, controlled environment without social pressure. They are comfortable with sustained internal focus and lower arousal. Extroverts prefer team sports because they are energised by social interaction, enjoy the dynamic environment of team play, and thrive on higher arousal levels that come from competition and physical contact with others.

Answer: Intrinsic motivation comes from within - the performer participates for enjoyment, satisfaction and the inherent pleasure of the activity. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside - the performer participates for external rewards such as trophies, medals, money or praise. Intrinsic motivation is more effective for long-term participation because it is self-sustaining; if a performer enjoys the activity itself, they will continue even when external rewards are absent. Extrinsic motivation may disappear when rewards are removed.

Answer: Assertion is forceful but legitimate play within the rules of the sport, e.g. a strong, fair shoulder charge in rugby where the player is going for the ball. Aggression is behaviour with intent to harm that goes beyond the rules, e.g. deliberately elbowing an opponent off the ball. The distinction is important because assertion is a positive and legal part of sport, while aggression is harmful, illegal and should be penalised. Coaches and players must channel aggressive feelings into assertive, legal play.

Answer: Positive effects: The money reward may increase the child's initial motivation to score goals, encourage them to work harder in training, and provide a clear, measurable target. Negative effects: The child may become solely focused on scoring (ignoring teamwork and passing), their intrinsic motivation for the game may decrease (overjustification effect), and if the money reward is removed, their motivation may collapse. The child may also cheat or behave selfishly to score. A better approach would be to praise effort and improvement, supporting intrinsic motivation.

Answer: An introvert is likely to choose individual sports such as archery, golf, swimming or long-distance running, where they can focus inwardly without the pressure of social interaction. Their optimal arousal level would be lower - introverts perform best in calm, controlled environments where they can concentrate without the stimulation of a noisy crowd or team dynamic. For example, an introvert would perform best in archery with low arousal (steady hand, focused mind) rather than the high-arousal environment of a rugby match.