Prediction of locus of control by personality in water sports athletes

Although personality traits and locus of control in athletes are frequently discussed in the literature, there is limited information about athletes who train regularly in the adolescent period, which is the critical time interval of personality development. In this study, it was aimed to predict locus of control in aquatic athletes with personality traits. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 365 participants, 173 males and 192 females between the ages of 12-17. The Locus of Control Scale was used to determine the participants' internal and external locus of control scores, and the 10-item form of the Big Five Personality Scale was used to collect information about personality traits. The forms were delivered to the participants via a web-based programme. The data obtained were analysed in SPSS package programme. Independent groups t-test, one-way variance (ANOVA), one-way MANOVA, Pearson correlation and regression analyses were used in the analysis and significance was accepted as p<,05. When the findings were analysed, significant differences were found between locus of control and age variable, family income level and sporting level (p=,05). In personality traits, there were significant differences in Responsibility and Emotional Stability traits depending on the age variable (p=,05). In regression analysis, it was found that emotional stability (β=,140; t=2,612; p=,009) and openness to experience (β=,163; t=3,047; p=,002) had a significant positive predictive power on locus of control. In conclusion, the findings of the study showed that adolescents who are engaged in water sports have a high internal locus of control regardless of gender, that these aspects are in a close relationship with responsibility and emotional stability, and that these characteristics have the potential to differ according to age category. There is a need for branch-based and gender-oriented studies in water sports in future research. Keywords: Adolescents, Personality, Water Sports, Age groups, Internal Locus of Control