Football Scores on the Big Five Personality Factors across 50 States in the U.S.

Despite the growing evidence of role personality plays on sport and exercise related behavior, little is known about the influence of personality traits on football players in the U.S. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the big five personality traits on football achievements. Extraversion (E), Agreeableness (A), Conscientiousness (C), Neuroticism (N), and Openness (O) traits obtained from 619,397 U.S. respondents in a previous study were used as predictors to state-level football scores in this study. Across 50 states in the U.S., football ranks were positively correlated with state scores on the Big Five personality factors of conscientiousness and agreeableness. However, when applying multiple regression analyses to the prediction model for football ranks based on five independent variables of the Big Five personality factors, only conscientiousness and neuroticism would significantly predict football ranks. Agreeableness correlates with football ranks but does not contribute to the prediction model since agreeableness is collinear with conscientiousness, extraversion, and openness. Neuroticism insignificantly correlates with football ranks but contributes to the prediction because the suppressor effect of conscientiousness by neuroticism has improved its predictor of football ranks. The findings implied that in order to increase high ranks in football practice, selection for athletics would focus on persons with high conscientiousness and neuroticism.