Perceptual and Motor Skilk, 1992, 74, 978.
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1992
HABITUAL PARTICIPATION I N EXERCISE AND PERSONALITY ATTILA SZABO Uniuersite' de MontrPal Summary.-Two personality characteristics of 21 habitually exercising and 14 nonexercising college students were compared by using the Eysenck Personality Inventory. The former scored higher on Extraversion than the latter. Both groups of men (ns = 9 and 6), as well as 12 exercising women, scored lower on Neuroticism than 8 nonexercising women. Habitual participation in physical exercise and physical fitness have been related to greater extraversion and lower neuroticism in men (1, 4). Such trends were linked to superior emotional adjustment (2). Extraversion and neuroticism, in relation to habirual participation in exercise by women, have received little attention, The present study examined these personality traits in habitually exercising and nonexercising men and women. Using time-limited sequential randomization (within a preset interval, every third visitor), visitors to a college intramural facility were interviewed (if they consented) about their exercise habits. Students reporting uninterrupted participation in exercise for the past 2 years ( L 3 times/ week, > 1 hr./each time) and those reporting participation only in casual exercise for the past 2 years ( 5 2 tirnesjweek, < 1 hr./each time) were asked to complete the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Twenty-one exercising (12 women/9 men; M = 23.1 y r , SD = 4.9) and 14 nonexercising students (8 women/6 men; M = 24.2 yr., SD = 6.4) completed the questionnaire. Data were analyzed with 2 (group) by 2 (gender) analysis of variance. A main effect for group (F,,,, = 7.7, p < .01) showed that habitually exercising students scored higher on the Extraversion scale than nonexercising students. An interaction of group by gender (F,,,, = 9.0, p < .01), tested post hoc with simple contrasts (3), indicated that nonexercising women scored higher on the Neuroticism scale than exercising women (F,,,, = 12.41, p < .001), exerclslng men (F,,,, = 8.0, p
O Perceptual and Motor Skills 1992
HABITUAL PARTICIPATION I N EXERCISE AND PERSONALITY ATTILA SZABO Uniuersite' de MontrPal Summary.-Two personality characteristics of 21 habitually exercising and 14 nonexercising college students were compared by using the Eysenck Personality Inventory. The former scored higher on Extraversion than the latter. Both groups of men (ns = 9 and 6), as well as 12 exercising women, scored lower on Neuroticism than 8 nonexercising women. Habitual participation in physical exercise and physical fitness have been related to greater extraversion and lower neuroticism in men (1, 4). Such trends were linked to superior emotional adjustment (2). Extraversion and neuroticism, in relation to habirual participation in exercise by women, have received little attention, The present study examined these personality traits in habitually exercising and nonexercising men and women. Using time-limited sequential randomization (within a preset interval, every third visitor), visitors to a college intramural facility were interviewed (if they consented) about their exercise habits. Students reporting uninterrupted participation in exercise for the past 2 years ( L 3 times/ week, > 1 hr./each time) and those reporting participation only in casual exercise for the past 2 years ( 5 2 tirnesjweek, < 1 hr./each time) were asked to complete the Eysenck Personality Inventory. Twenty-one exercising (12 women/9 men; M = 23.1 y r , SD = 4.9) and 14 nonexercising students (8 women/6 men; M = 24.2 yr., SD = 6.4) completed the questionnaire. Data were analyzed with 2 (group) by 2 (gender) analysis of variance. A main effect for group (F,,,, = 7.7, p < .01) showed that habitually exercising students scored higher on the Extraversion scale than nonexercising students. An interaction of group by gender (F,,,, = 9.0, p < .01), tested post hoc with simple contrasts (3), indicated that nonexercising women scored higher on the Neuroticism scale than exercising women (F,,,, = 12.41, p < .001), exerclslng men (F,,,, = 8.0, p
