In the realm of human physicality, the perception of one’s own athletic ability stands as a complex interplay of personality, environmental factors, and social feedback. A pioneering new study conducted by Sho Ito and colleagues at Nanzan University in Japan delves into the underexplored sphere of subjective athleticism, revealing how one’s self-assessed physical prowess intertwines with an intricate web of internal traits and external influences. Published in the open-access journal PLOS One on May 28, 2025, this research sheds light on how young individuals, specifically college undergraduates, construct their sense of athletic identity. The findings have far-reaching implications, not only for physical education and sports psychology but also for broader health and social development strategies.
Traditionally, athletic ability has been defined through objective performance metrics—speed, strength, endurance, or skill in specific sports. However, the subjective perception of athletic ability, or how individuals view their own athletic potential, remains a nebulous concept. Ito et al. challenge this vagueness by examining self-perceptions among a sample of 406 Japanese undergraduate students. The researchers deployed a detailed questionnaire evaluating participants’ perceived competence across 11 sports, ranging from team activities like soccer and basketball to individual disciplines. This approach allowed them to capture a holistic self-assessment rather than isolated skills, offering insight into cumulative athletic self-concept.
The study bridges psychology and physiology by correlating subjective athleticism with personality attributes such as grit—the persistent pursuit of long-term goals despite adversity—resilience, a psychological robustness to bounce back from setbacks, and growth mindset, the belief in the malleability of one’s own abilities through effort. The alignment of higher perceived athletic ability with these traits suggests that internal cognitive frameworks and persistence play a vital role in shaping how athletic potential is internally tuned. In essence, individuals who see themselves as more athletic also tend to embrace challenges, maintain endurance over time, and view abilities as improvable rather than fixed.
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Famial and developmental backgrounds emerged as equally potent determinants of subjective athleticism. The study found that participants who perceived themselves as highly athletic were more frequently the youngest siblings in their families. This intriguing dynamic could stem from social modeling—youngest siblings often emulate older siblings’ behaviors, including physical activities, which in turn may boost confidence and perceived competence. The timing of developmental milestones also factored in; individuals who first walked at earlier ages reported higher athletic self-evaluations, hinting at early neuromotor coordination’s impact on later self-perception.
Social feedback constituted another critical pillar in the construction of athletic identity. Participants who were often labeled “athletic” by family, peers, or coaches showed enhanced self-perceptions, underscoring the power of external validation in reinforcing physical self-concept. Furthermore, parental influence was significant, with students from athletic parents tending to rate their own ability higher. This hereditary and environmental overlap suggests that both genetics and upbringing contribute to an internalized athletic narrative.
Economic status, as measured by parental household income, showed a positive association with higher perceived athletic ability. Access to better resources for physical training, nutrition, and extracurricular sports activities likely explains this link. It highlights a socio-economic stratification in the cultivation of both objective skills and self-belief, raising important questions regarding equity in youth sports and physical education programs.
While participants with elevated athletic self-perceptions were invested in physical activities and sports, the study observed an inverse relationship with participation in certain leisure activities such as games and music. This finding suggests distinct behavioral preferences and time allocation patterns among individuals who view themselves as athletic, potentially reflecting identity trade-offs between physical and non-physical domains of engagement.
Importantly, the research team emphasizes that while these findings robustly map correlational relationships, causality remains elusive. It is not yet clear whether personality traits and family factors cultivate perceptions of athletic ability or whether youthful engagement in sports shapes these psychological and social characteristics. Longitudinal studies and experimental designs are needed to unravel these dynamics and distinguish precursors from consequences in athletic self-perception.
The study’s insights carry profound practical ramifications. Understanding the multifaceted components that bolster self-perceived athleticism could inform targeted interventions for promoting physical activity among youth, thereby addressing public health concerns related to sedentary lifestyles. Enhancing internal motivation and resilience, coupled with supportive family and social environments, may empower more young people to embrace active lifestyles and reap associated benefits for mental and physical well-being.
Moreover, the research invites reconsideration of how educators, coaches, and policymakers define and measure athletic ability. Incorporating subjective perceptions alongside objective performance metrics might provide a fuller picture of a young person’s athletic self-concept, facilitating personalized support and coaching strategies that nurture confidence and continual growth.
The discovery that youngest siblings often perceive themselves as more athletic opens a fascinating avenue for future exploration into family dynamics and peer modeling in the development of physical self-esteem. Such findings challenge simplistic, one-dimensional models of athletic identity formation and encourage interdisciplinary approaches that account for psychological, social, and biological layers.
Ito and colleagues’ work thus fundamentally enriches the scientific dialogue on what it means to be “athletic,” advocating for a nuanced understanding that extends beyond physical prowess to encompass the subjective sense of capability shaped by a constellation of life experiences and personality factors. While further research is required to disentangle cause-effect mechanisms, this study sets a new benchmark for rigor and depth in the field.
As we confront rising concerns about youth inactivity and its myriad consequences on public health, insights into how individuals perceive and engage with their athletic potential become critically important. This research unlocks a pathway to foster self-efficacy and durable motivation for physical engagement, heralding promising implications for education, sports psychology, and health promotion programs globally.
By examining self-perceived total athletic ability through a scientific lens, Sho Ito and his team pave the way for innovative interventions tailored to the psychological and social fabric of athletic identity. Their contribution underscores the vital interdependence of mind, environment, and body in shaping how young adults envision their athletic selves, driving forward a transformative agenda in the study of human physicality.
Subject of Research:
Not applicable
Article Title:
Determinants of subjective total athletic ability
News Publication Date:
28-May-2025
Web References:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324044
References:
Ito S, Soga K, Kato K (2025) Determinants of subjective total athletic ability. PLoS One 20(5): e0324044.
Image Credits:
Chris, Unsplash, CC0
Keywords:
Athletic self-perception, subjective athletic ability, grit, resilience, growth mindset, family influence, developmental milestones, social feedback, sports psychology, physical activity motivation, youth sports, subjective physical capability
Tags: athletic identity constructioncollege students and athleticismenhancing physical education strategiesenvironmental influences on athletic identityimpact of family on athletic abilityimplications for health and social developmentpersonal traits and athleticismpsychological factors in sports performanceself-assessment in physical educationsocial feedback in sportssports psychology researchsubjective perception of athletic ability
