Summary: A new study of Japanese undergraduates finds that students’ perceptions of their own athletic ability are shaped by a mix of personality traits, childhood environment, family background, and social feedback. Students who rated themselves as more athletic also tended to show higher levels of grit, resilience, and a growth mindset, and reported more sports experience and earlier motor milestones.
The study highlights how internal factors (personality and mindset) and external influences (family, peers, and early physical experiences) combine to shape a young person’s belief in their athletic competence—an attitude that can affect motivation to participate in physical activity and, consequently, health and academic outcomes.
Key facts
- Psychological traits: Grit, resilience, and a growth mindset were among the strongest predictors of higher self-rated athletic ability.
- Family and childhood influences: Youngest siblings and individuals with athletic parents were more likely to view themselves as athletic. Earlier age at first walking and greater childhood sports participation were also linked to higher self-ratings.
- Social feedback: Being frequently described as “athletic” by others correlated with stronger self-perceived athletic ability, underlining the role of external affirmation.
Source: PLOS
Overview of the study
Researchers led by Sho Ito of Nanzan University reported their findings in the open-access journal PLOS One on May 28, 2025. They surveyed 406 undergraduate students in Japan to investigate what determines a person’s subjective total athletic ability—defined in the study as the combined self-rated athletic competence across 11 sports disciplines, including soccer, volleyball, basketball, and short-distance running.
Participants completed a questionnaire rating their own ability across multiple sports and provided information about personality traits, family background, early motor milestones, and prior sports experience. The researchers used correlation and linear modeling to identify which factors were associated with higher subjective total athletic ability.
Results indicated that perceived general athletic ability correlated with specific self-assessments in soccer, volleyball, basketball, and sprinting. In linear models, greater perceived total athletic ability associated positively with grit, resilience, and a growth mindset. Additional influential factors included being a youngest sibling, having athletic parents, higher household income, earlier walking age, and more extensive sports participation in childhood. Conversely, spending more leisure time on activities like video games and music tended to associate with lower self-ratings of athleticism.
One unexpected finding was that youngest siblings reported higher perceived athletic ability, a pattern the authors suggest may reflect imitation of older siblings or differing family dynamics that encourage physical play and modeling.
Implications and limitations
Understanding the mix of psychological, familial, and environmental factors that shape self-perceived athletic ability can inform efforts to encourage physical activity among young people. Because self-perception influences motivation, fostering traits like resilience and a growth mindset—along with providing positive social feedback and early opportunities for physical play—could increase participation in exercise and sports.
However, the study is cross-sectional and does not establish causality. The relationships observed indicate associations but cannot determine whether personality and family factors cause higher self-perceived athletic ability or whether being active and perceived as athletic reinforces those psychological traits. The authors recommend longitudinal and experimental research to clarify causal pathways and to refine how we define and measure “athletic ability.”
Authors’ note
The researchers emphasize that subjective perceptions of athletic ability reflect a blend of internal dispositions and external influences, including early childhood environment and family background. They highlight the role of social labeling—being called “athletic”—in shaping self-belief, and they note the surprising pattern among youngest siblings as a topic for further study.
Funding
This research was supported by Nanzan University Pache Research Subsidy I-A-2 for the 2024 academic year and JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP23K10623. The authors thank these funders for their support.
About this research
Author: Hanna Abdallah
Source: PLOS
Contact: Hanna Abdallah – PLOS
Image credit: Neuroscience News
Original research (open access): “Determinants of subjective total athletic ability” by Sho Ito et al., PLOS One (DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324044)
Abstract (concise)
The study explored determinants of subjective total athletic ability among 406 undergraduates, using self-ratings across multiple sports and measures of personality, family background, and sports history. Perceived overall athletic ability correlated with specific sport abilities and related positively to grit, resilience, growth mindset, prior sports experience, parental athleticism, higher family income, earlier walking age, and being a youngest sibling. These findings suggest subjective athletic ability emerges from an interplay of internal and external influences; longitudinal research is needed to determine causal links.