Brains Behind the Game: AI Reveals What Makes Elite Soccer Players Mentally Exceptional
Description
Results from ground-breaking research finds that new technology can be used by clubs and sport institutions to identify talents and develop athletes. Â The research found that combining psychological assessment with machine learning and AI will allow coaches and managers to be more accurate and effective in detecting and developing new talents in sports.
PartnersÂ
University of Oxford
University of Aarhus
University of Bologna
University of Rio de Janeiro State University
Karolinska Institute
Impact
Elite soccer players have remarkably higher levels of cognitive abilities compared to the general population, including advanced planning, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Moreover, they display distinctive personality traits such as heightened conscientiousness, extraversion and openness to new experiences, according to a major study.
The findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Journal, analysed 204 elite players from top-division teams in Brazil and Sweden, alongside 124 control participants. Using a variety of tasks assessing executive functions, memory, planning, and personality traits, the researchers uncovered several striking results.
In a major collaborative effort, the research team found that elite soccer players consistently outperformed control participants and the general norm in areas such as cognitive flexibility, planning, and working memory.Â
The study also revealed a distinctive personality profile among elite soccer players: they were more conscientious, extraverted, and open to new experiences than the controls.Â
They also showed lower levels of agreeableness and neuroticism. Both their cognitive skills and personality features were shown to predict key soccer behaviours, including goals, assists, and successful dribbles.Â
Using artificial intelligence, the researchers were also able to distinguish elite soccer players from controls with 97 per cent accuracy based on their individual cognitive and personality features. Nevertheless, the researchers emphasise that other psychological factors, such as mental toughness and group cohesion, may also have a significant impact on successful soccer performance.
By decoding the cognitive and psychological profile of elite players, the study offers valuable insights into the psychology of human excellence and highlights the brilliance of top athletes.
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