PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSTACLES TO CROQUET SUCCESS CONTINUED
Some of these findings are displayed in the graph of the participants’ average grid (see Figure 1). Although they are rather bunched up in this particular graph, the further apart two people are on the graph the more dissimilar they are in participants’ view. The adjectives that participants used to rate the people are situated around the outside of the graph, and people are described by those adjectives that they are closest to. On the horizontal axis, the self when playing croquet badly, and a player they would feel confident of beating, who are seen as inconsistent, lacking in concentration, lacking confidence, unskilful, and poor at strategy, are contrasted with their ideal self, an ideal croquet player, and someone they would like to have as a doubles partner, who are seen as consistent, focused, confident, skilful, and good at strategy. On the vertical axis, a croquet player they do not find it easy to play, against and one they would not find it easy to play doubles with, who are seen as not fun to be with, uncommunicative, opinionated, taking themselves seriously, unhelpful and unsupportive, and competitive, are contrasted with a player they would feel confident of beating
and one with whom they would enjoy having a friendly game, who are seen as fun to be with, friendly, easy-going, not taking themselves seriously, helpful and supportive and not competitive. The association in the average grid between competitiveness and various negative personal characteristics suggested that some players may be faced (not necessarily at a high level of awareness) with a dilemma such as: ‘I would like to be competitive and I would like to be fun to be with, but competitive people are not fun to be with.’ Examination of the individual grids of participants revealed several further dilemmas expressed in associations between what might have been regarded as other attributes of a successful player (e.g., being focused, confident, determined, skilful, consistent, careful, and good at strategy) and negatively evaluated characteristics (e.g., taking oneself seriously, being opinionated, uncommunicative, not fun to be with, and lacking integrity).
Figure 1. Plot from analysis of the average grid of participants
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