A cross‐cultural comparison of six mental qualities among Singaporean, North American, Chinese, and Nigerian professional athletes

Abstract

This study compared athletes from four countries on six mental qualities. The subjects were professional athletes participating in various sports from Singapore (n = 169), North America (n=219), China (n = 152), and Nigeria (n = 72). The Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) (Martens, 1977), the Trait Sport‐Confidence Inventory (TSCI) (Vealey, 1986), and the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ) (Smith, 1994) were administered to these athletes. The personal characteristics investigated included competitive trait anxiety, trait self‐confidence, concentration, mental preparation skills, achievement motivation, and leadership skills. Results showed that significant differences existed among the four countries on the six mental qualities. Follow‐up univariate comparisons displayed that only anxiety and mental preparation scores showed significant difference between Chinese and Singapore athletes. Significant difference existed on all mental qualities between North American and Singaporean athletes and differences existed on five mental qualities, except competitive trait anxiety, between Chinese and North American athletes. No significant differences were found between North American, Chinese, and Nigerian athletes in competitive trait anxiety.