Ability and non-ability traits in chess skill

Angel Blanch,Anton Llaveria

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2021.110909

Abstract

Chess is an appropriate model to study ability and non-ability traits as related with performance because it bears intellectual and emotional demanding requirements. With a group of amateur chess players (n = 100), the current study addressed two interrelated aims. First, we assessed whether the three broad PEN personality factors (psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism), and emotion regulation traits (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) differentiated chess players from the general population. Second, we compared the association of domain knowledge and personality/emotion traits with chess skill. The main findings indicated that chess players scored lower in neuroticism and higher in expressive suppression compared with the general population. Moreover, chess knowledge related in a greater extent with chess skill than personality/emotion regulation traits, even though extraversion explained additional variability in chess skill. Overall, the findings suggest that non-ability traits may be influential in the selection of the chess environment. Besides, the findings corroborate the stronger impact of cognitive ability than personality traits on intellectual performance found in other domains.

Highlights

Chess is a robust environment to study individual differences in ability and non-ability traits related with performance
This study indicates that chess players are more intro verted and intuitive compared with the general population, and that master chess players are more intuitive than average players are
This study addressed ability and non-ability traits with a sample of amateur chess players in the taxing environment of chess playing

Summary

Introduction

Chess is a robust environment to study individual differences in ability and non-ability traits related with performance. When compared with other fields of human activity, only a few studies have addressed the personality of chess players. One of the first studies in this field reports findings with the MyersBriggs Type Indicator (MBTI) from over four hundred US chess players (Kelly, 1985). This study indicates that chess players are more intro verted and intuitive compared with the general population, and that master chess players are more intuitive than average players are. Another study compares the scores in four scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) from competitive and average chess players, and non-players from Israel (Avni et al, 1987)

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