THE EFFECTS OF PERSONALITY ON CONCUSSION RATES
Open Access
- Author:
- Petusky, Mark Edward
- Area of Honors:
- Psychology
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Peter Andrew Arnett, Thesis Supervisor
Rick R Jacobs, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Concussion
Personality
Sports
Psychology - Abstract:
- Concussion is a major issue in today's society with somewhere between 1.6 and 3.8 million concussions reported each year as a result of sports and other physical recreational activities. The effects of concussion vary widely, but can have harmful consequences both in the short term and later in life. Therefore, determining risk factors for concussion is important for improving both prevention of concussions and return to play decisions. Research on concussion and personality is somewhat sparse, and personality has not been investigated as a risk factor for concussion. The current study sought to determine whether personality at baseline testing was related to concussion history or rate of return for post-concussion testing. Using 736 college-aged athlete participants, a negative correlation was found between scores on Openness from the NEO and number of previous concussions at baseline. No statistically significant correlations were found between the Big Five personality traits at baseline and the rate of referral back for testing after a subsequent injury. These findings may suggest that individuals with lower scores on the openness personality trait may be at higher risk for concussion.