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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of athletic identity as a predictor of mental toughness in male and female athletes. Method: Eighty six female (Mage=25.33±4.35) and 105 male (Mage=24.66±3.66), totally 191 athletes (Mage=24.96±3.99) voluntarily participated in this study. The Athletic Identity Questionnaire (AIQ) and The Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire were administered to all participants. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. Results: Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis revealed that competence and encouragement by friends (R=0.51; R2=0.26; p<.05) subscales of athletic identity were significant predictors of mental toughness of athletes. Analysis also indicated that importance and appearance (R=0.51; R2=0.26; p<.05) subscales of athletic identity were predictor of mental toughness of female athletes. Beside this, competence and encouragement by friends (R=0.54; R2=0.29; p<.01) subscales of athletic identity were predictor of mental toughness of male athletes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that, female and male athletes’ athletic identities plays a significant role in their mental toughness. In other words, spending effort for being a team, increasing the quality of training and physical appearance is important for female athletes to overcome challenges. On the other hand, male athletes give more attention to motor capacity, athletic competence and friends’ encouragement to get over the difficulties.
We examined associations between mental toughness, self-directed, negatively toned emotions and cognitions, and self-forgiveness. With reference to their participation in competitive tennis, a sample of 343 competitive tennis players (Mage = 17.56, SD = 2.37) completed questionnaires measuring their mental toughness, self-forgiveness, and tendency to experience shame, anger, and criticism towards themselves. Mental toughness associated negatively with self-oriented shame, anger, and criticism, and positively with self-forgiveness. The effect of mental toughness on both shame and anger towards the self was fully mediated by self-forgiveness, whereas self-forgiveness partially mediated the effect for self-criticism. The findings support the role of self-forgiveness, over mental toughness, in reducing or eliminating self-condemning, resentful, and devaluing responses that athletes direct towards themselves.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Psychological Predictors of Mental Toughness in Elite Tennis: An Exploratory Study in Learned Resourcefulness and Competitive Trait Anxiety2014 •
The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which two constructs, learned resourcefulness and competitive trait anxiety, measured by the Self-Control Schedule and Sports Competition Anxiety Test, respectively, predicted mental toughness on the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire among male and female elite tennis players. The participants included two NCAA Division 1 (U.S.) intercollegiate tennis teams comprising eight male (M age = 19.4 yr., SD = 1.2) and eight female (M age = 20.9 yr., SD = 1.4) players and their respective head coaches (N = 2, M age = 28 yr., SD = 5.7). Results of regression analyses indicated that learned resourcefulness was the primary predictor of athlete self-rated mental toughness and that competitive trait anxiety was relatively unrelated to coach and athlete-rated mental toughness. The positive significant relationship between mental toughness and learned resourcefulness suggests that the latter may be an integral component of mental toughness, at least among elite tennis players. Further research is needed to examine related components of mental toughness, including learned resourcefulness, and to determine the effectiveness of interventions that increase mental toughness to optimal levels, particularly as a function of sport type.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Mental Toughness, Emotional Intelligence, and Coping Effectiveness: An Analysis of Construct Interrelatedness Among High-Performing Adolescent Male Athletes2016 •
The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships between mental toughness (MT) and two constructs also linked to athletic performance, emotional intelligence (EI) and coping effectiveness. A sample of 151 male adolescent athletes (M age = 15.4 years, SD = 1.3) completed the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire, the Self-Rated Emotional Intelligence Scale, and an adapted version of the Coping Effectiveness Scale. The regression and mediation analysis results supported both hypotheses in that (a) EI was a significant predictor of MT and (b) the relationship between EI and coping effectiveness was fully mediated by MT. The findings suggest that EI may be an important mechanism through which mentally tough responses and outcomes are generated. Furthermore, although EI is associated with coping effectiveness, it is the attributes of MT that account for the superior coping effectiveness reported among athletes high in EI. Future research could explore whether MT may be developed through intervention programs that target EI, along with the influence of such programs on athletes' coping effectiveness.
Personality and Individual Differences
Mental toughness, optimism, pessimism, and coping among athletes2008 •
The concept of mental toughness is widely used, but empirical evidence is required to fully understand this construct and its related variables. The purpose of this paper was to explore the relationship between: (a) mental toughness and coping, (b) mental toughness and optimism, and (c) coping and optimism. Participants were 677 athletes (male 454; female 223) aged between 15 and 58 years (M age = 22.66 years, SD = 7.20). Mental toughness correlated significantly with 8 of the 10 coping subscales and optimism. In particular, higher levels of mental toughness were associated with more problem or approach coping strategies (mental imagery, effort expenditure, thought control, and logical analysis) but less use of avoidance coping strategies (distancing, mental distraction, and resignation). Eight coping subscales were significantly correlated with optimism and pessimism. In conclusion, the relationships observed in this study emphasize the need for the inclusion of coping and optimism training in mental toughness interventions.
International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Mental Toughness in South African Competitive Tennis: Biographical and Sport Participation Differences2016 •
The purpose of the present study was to determine the level of mental toughness (MT) of South African competitive tennis players as a function of ethnicity, sex, age, length of tennis participation, and competitive standard. Competitive tennis players, 191 males and 174 females, completed the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated statistically significant differences in MT based on age as well as length of tennis participation, but not as a function of the players’ ethnicity, sex, and competitive standard. Older age groups and athletes participating for longer periods of time tended to report higher levels of total MT, constancy, and control compared to the younger and less experienced age groups. Age and length of participation group differences between the older age (30–48 years and 49 years and older) and longer period of participation (16–25 years, 26–35 years, and 36 or more years) categories were not found for total MT, constancy, and control. The implications for the nature and development of MT in competitive tennis are discussed, with the need to consider personal and sport involvement characteristics, among other factors, when designing MT interventions that are appropriate for individual tennis players.
Personality and Individual Differences
Mental toughness in sport: Achievement level, gender, age, experience, and sport type differences2009 •
It was hypothesized that there would be significant differences in mental toughness among athletes of different: (a) achievement level, (b) gender, (c) age, (d) sporting experience, and (e) sport type (team vs. individual and contact vs. non-contact sports). Participants were 677 athletes and consisted of sports performers competing at international (n = 60), national (n = 99), county (n = 198), club/university (n = 289), and beginner (n = 31) levels. Results revealed a significant relationship between mental toughness and gender, age, and sporting experience. However, achievement level and the type of sport an athlete participated in was not significantly associated with mental toughness.
Perceptual and Motor Skills
Competitive Performance Correlates of Mental Toughness in Tennis: A Preliminary Analysis2016 •
This study investigated relationships between mental toughness and measures of competitive performance in tennis. Forty-three male (N = 25) and female (N = 18) players (M age = 13.6 years, SD = 2.4) completed the mental toughness inventory, and the point-by-point outcomes recorded during a competitive tennis match (singles) were used to generate performance indices for each athlete. The results indicated that mental toughness was associated with several, but not all, macro, micro, and critical moment performance indices. The findings suggest mental toughness may contribute to successful performance during tennis competition, although the importance of the construct appears to depend depend on specific match situations. Future mental toughness research should consider a range of factors related to sport performance, including athletes' and opponents' physical, technical, and tactical abilities.
2012 •
The purposes of the current study were to identify mental toughness profiles in adolescent cricketers and examine differences between these profiles on developmental assets and negative emotional states. A sample of 226 community cricketers (125 New Zealanders and 101 Australians; male n = 210) aged between 10 and 18 years (Mage = 14.41 years; SD = 2.11) completed a multisection, online survey containing measures of mental toughness, developmental assets, and negative emotional states. The results of hierarchical (Ward’s method) and nonhierarchical (k means) cluster analyses revealed three mental toughness profiles characterized by low, moderate, and high levels of all five mental toughness assets (i.e., affective intelligence, desire to achieve, self-belief, attentional control, resilience). Those cricketers with high levels of mental toughness reported possession of more developmental assets and lower levels of negative emotional states when compared with cricketers with the moderate levels of mental toughness. No statistically significant differences existed between the moderate and low levels of mental toughness profiles. These findings provided preliminary evidence to suggest that mental toughness might be viewed not only from the traditional view of optimal performance but also from a stance that may represent a contextually salient representation of thriving in youth sport settings.
Psychology
Effects of Feedback on Self-Efficacy Expectations Based on the Athlete’s Optimistic Profile2012 •
2013 •
Personality and Individual Differences
Mental toughness, stress, stress appraisal, coping and coping effectiveness in sport2009 •
Psychology of Sport and Exercise
Positive personality-trait-like individual differences in athletes from individual-and team sports and in non-athletes2016 •
Journal of Sport Behavior
Comparing Athletes' and Their Coaches' Perceptions of Athletes' Mental Toughness Among Elite Tennis Players2014 •
Journal of Athletic Training
Injury Rehabilitation Overadherence: Preliminary Scale Validation and Relationships With Athletic Identity and Self-Presentation Concerns2013 •
Journal of Sport and Health Science
Moderating variables in the relationship between mental toughness and performance in basketball2013 •
Research Journal of Internatıonal Studıes- …
The Affect of Higher Score of Mental Toughness In the Early Stage of the League Towards Winning Among Malaysian Football Players2009 •
2010 •
The Open Sports Sciences Journal
Mental Toughness and Success in Sport: A Review and Prospect2017 •
Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi
Elit Düzeyde Bireysel ve Takım Sporu Yapan Sporcuların Zihinsel Dayanıklılık Düzeylerinin Çeşitli Değişkenlere Göre İncelenmesi / Examination of Mental Toughness Levels of Individual and Team Sports Players at Elite Level According to Various Variables2018 •
Frontiers in Psychology
Mental Toughness in Competitive Tennis: Relationships with Resilience and Stress2016 •
Psychological Reports
Mental Toughness in South African Youth: Relationships With Forgivingness and Attitudes Towards Risk2017 •
Mental toughness and hardiness at different levels of football
Mental toughness and hardiness at different levels of football2013 •
Journal of Athletic Training
Injured Athletes’ Rehabilitation Beliefs and Subjective Well-Being: The Contribution of Hope and Social Support2013 •
International Journal of Sport and …
Morningness‐eveningness and physical activity in adolescents2010 •
2013 •
Gaziantep Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi
Spor Bilimleri Fakültesindeki Öğrencilerin Kendinle Konuşma ve Zihinsel Dayanıklılık Düzeyleri Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi / Examination of the Relationship Between Self-Talk and Mental Toughness Levels of the Students in the Faculty of Sports Sciences2019 •
International Journal of Sports Medicine
Pre-Competition Anxiety and Performance in Female High School Swimmers: A Test of Optimal Function Theory1990 •
South African Journal of Science
On the Mental Toughness of Self-aware Athletes: Evidence from Competitive Tennis Players2017 •