Abstract
The goal of this research was to determine potential differences in personality traits of students athletes in comparison to students nonathletes. Research included around 200 students of Faculty of Education of University “Džemal Bijedić” in Mostar, from which 100 students are professional or recreational athletes and 100 students are nonathletes. Students are equated according to the year of study and average grade during the study. Personality traits were estimated by the “Big five” inventory (BFI) (John, Donahue and Kentle, 1991) and obtained data were presented and discussed from the aspect of dominant theories in the given area. Results of the personality traits research on this appropriate sample show that students athletes do not statistically differentiate in a significant measure from nonathletes in personality traits Extraversion and Accommodation, while in the trait Conscientiousness athletes differentiate significantly from nonathletes, with the level of significance of p < ,05. Also, students athletes differentiate significantly from nonathletes in personality trait Neuroticism (U = 4040,5; N = 200; p < ,05), because athletes obtained statistically lower results in the trait Neuroticism than nonathletes in this research. Also, obtained results show that athletes, in this research, do not differentiate statistically from nonathletes in personality trait Openness towards experience.
