Adaptation, Validation, and Reliability of the Indonesian Version of the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ)

This research aimed to explore any links between mental toughness and courage in sports among students enrolled in the faculty of sports science, employing a relational screening model with a sample consisting of 340 university students who were selected using a convenience sampling method. Research data were collected through a Personal Information Form, the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), and the Sport Courage Scale (SCS). Data analyses included independent groups T-test, One-Way ANOVA, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient. Significant differences were detected in the SMTQ and SCS, as well as in the total scale scores, based on the gender variable, which is one of the demographic variables. SMTQ and SCS subdimensions and total scale scores differed significantly according to the university department. Furthermore, the study identified significant differences in the SMTQ and the SCS subdimensions and total scale scores based on the academic year variable. However, no significant relationship was found between age and SMTQ and SCS subdimensions and total scale scores. The findings of this study indicate a significant and positive correlation between the SMTQ and SCS subdimensions and the total scale scores. Therefore, it can be concluded that as the mental toughness levels of the students in sports science increase, their courage levels also increase.

Gucciardi et al. (2009) [1] suggest that mental toughness is more a function of environment than domains, and as such, mental toughness is potentially important in any environment that requires performance setting, challenges, and adversities. Due to vital importance of mental toughness in sports and particularly in soccer, this paper focused on the comparison of sport mental toughness levels of soccer officials with their age group, education level, refereeing category and sports experience years. Mental toughness was checked by Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). The SMTQ was applied to soccer officials (159 licensed referees) who all were registered to the Turkish Football Federation (TFF). The sample consisted of 146 male subjects, mean age was 29.10 years (SD = 7.54, range = 19-54) and 13 female subjects mean age was 22.82 years (SD = 4.71, range = 19-27). To determine the difference of Sport Mental Toughness level among soccer referees One-Way ANOVA was used for normal distribution and Scheffe Test was used for determining the differences across groups with through SPSS Package 21.0 and the significant level was set at 0.05. The findings of this research paper showed that there were significant differences between soccer officials' three sub-factors (confidence - constancy - control) of mental toughness and their officiating experience years. This could be attributed to the fact that 15 and above years experienced officials were mentally tougher than those with 0-5 years' experience and those with 6-10 years' experience. There were not any significant differences between other variables (refereeing categories, education levels and age groups) of soccer officials and their mental toughness levels.

Mental toughness in endurance athletes, while an important factor for success, has been scarcely studied. An online survey was used to examine eight mental toughness factors in endurance athletes. The study aim was to determine mental toughness profiles via latent profile analysis in endurance athletes and whether associations exist between the latent profiles and demographics and sports characteristics. Endurance athletes >18 years of age were recruited via social media outlets (n = 1245, 53% female). Mental toughness was measured using the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), Psychological Performance Inventory-Alternative (PPI-A), and self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). A three-class solution emerged, designated as high mental toughness (High MT), moderate mental toughness (Moderate MT) and low mental toughness (Low MT). ANOVA tests showed significant differences between all three classes on all 8 factors derived from the SMTQ, PPI-A and the RSE. There was an increased odds of being in the High MT class compared to the Low MT class for males (OR = 1.99; 95% CI, 1.39, 2.83; P<0.001), athletes who were over 55 compared to those who were 18–34 (OR = 2.52; 95% CI, 1.37, 4.62; P<0.01), high sports satisfaction (OR = 8.17; 95% CI, 5.63, 11.87; P<0.001), and high division placement (OR = 2.18; 95% CI, 1.46,3.26; P<0.001). The data showed that mental toughness latent profiles exist in endurance athletes. High MT is associated with demographics and sports characteristics. Mental toughness screening in athletes may help direct practitioners with mental skills training.

Physical ability test (PAT) evaluates firefighters' (FF) occupational capacity. The contribution of anaerobic systems during PAT and mental toughness (MT) relationship to PAT is unexplored. PAT modeling based on anaerobic fitness (AF), MT, and respective relationships were examined. Fourteen male FFs (Age: 29.0 ± 7.0 years) completed a PAT composed of occupationally-specific tasks in full gear. On a separate day, a series of AF assessments were performed (handgrip-dynamometry: HG; vertical-jump: VJ; Margaria-Kalamen: MK; 300-yard shuttle run: 300YD). MT was evaluated using military training MT inventory (MTMTI) and sports MT questionnaire (SMTQ). We tested the PAT model using multiple backward regression and related correlations coefficients at p &lt; 0.05. A 78% proportion of PAT was explained by AF parameters (F2,13 = 20.2, &lt;0.05). PAT was significantly correlated with HG (r = -0.71, p &lt; 0.01), VJ (r = -0.73, p &lt; 0.01), MK (r = -0.75, p &lt; 0.01), and with 300YD (r = 0.60, p &lt; 0.05). MT did not demonstrate significant correlation with PAT (p &gt; 0.01). Anaerobic system significantly contributes to PAT performance. FFs should optimize AF training, which would allow for enhanced occupational performance in PAT. Further investigation into psychological determinants of FFs is recommended.

The aim of the research is to examine the relationship between character structures and mental toughness of high school and university students doing fencing sports. Survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, has been used in the study. The sample of the research consisted of 286 active licensed fencing athletes who have competing in the classifications of the Turkish Fencing Federation and studying at high schools and university. As a data collection tool in the study Personal Information Form, Sport Character Scale (SCS) Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) has been used. In the data analysis, independent group t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, Tukey HSD multiple comparison test, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient test have been applied. As a result of the research; average of sports character scores of high school and university athletes; gender, age, education level, branch and nationality status variables have found to be significantly different. It has been specified that there wasn’t significant difference in the fencing experience period variable. Mental toughness score averages in sports; gender, age, education level, branch, fencing experience period, nationality status have found to be significantly different. It has been determined that there is a low and moderate positive and significant relationship in some sub-dimensions of the Sports Character Scale and Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire.

Study purpose. The study was conducted to examine the effects of Visual Motor Behavior Rehearsal (VMBR) Training on sports anxiety and mental toughness of table tennis players after six weeks of the training. Materials and methods. Fifty male state-level table tennis players within the age group of 17 to 23 years were selected from Inspire Table Tennis Academy, Secunderabad, Telangana and divided randomly into two groups, the Control and Main Groups, each one consisting of 25 subjects. The Main Group underwent VMBR Training for six weeks, three times a week, and the Control Group was not involved in any kind of training program except for their daily practice. Measurements of anxiety of all table tennis players with the use of Sports Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2) with three dimensions which were somatic, worry and concentration disruption developed by Ronald E. Smith, Frank L. Smoll, Sean P. Cumming, and Joel R. Grossbard in 2006 and Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) with three dimensions which were confidence, consistency and control developed by Michael Sheard, Jim Golby, and Anna Van Wersch in 2009 were taken at the beginning of and after the experimental period of six weeks. Results. Significant effect was found in the Main Group at a significance level of 0.05 for dimensions which were sports mental toughness and somatic, worry and concentration disruption from anxiety scale dimensions of table tennis players. Conclusions. The visualization and imagery has been used as an effective tool for enhancing performance. Visual-Motor Behavior Rehearsal is a systematic psychological technique that helps table tennis players in overcoming psychological factors.

The present study related to boxing athletes' mental toughness and physical fitness performances with Big Five Factors. For this, the sample was composed of eleven recreational boxers who competed at the state level and were regularly training (technical and tactical) 4 times a week during the evaluation period. The 44-item Big Five Inventory (BFI) measures the Big Five dimensions of Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, and Extraversion and the 14-item Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) were applied with Strength, Power, and Endurance Tests, Pearson and Spearman's correlations were used to verify the association between BFI, physical and mental tests, respectively, p≤.05. Our results demonstrated that significant and strong correlation between agreeableness factor and sit-ups test, with 40.85±12.36 freq./min (r=.72, p=.02) and, in SMTQ, a strong correlation between Neuroticism and Control [10(9;12) score, r=.76, p≤0.01], Constancy [10(9;12) score, r=.84, p≤0.01] and Total SMQT [37(34;37) score, r=.84, p≤0.01]. In conclusion, these results suggest that Neuroticism factors are associated with mental toughness, while the agreeableness factor is related to muscular endurance capability. Mental toughness and endurance results are associated with boxers' personalities whose drive motivates them relentlessly towards success and promotes thriving in boxing training environments or during championships.

Mental toughness (MT), a construct linked to high-stress performance, is predominantly studied via self-assessment in cross-sectional designs. In the firefighting context, where no dedicated MT instrument exists, the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) and the Military Training Mental Toughness Inventory (MTMTI) have been used. However, their reliability and concurrent validity remain unexamined. This study employs a two-wave longitudinal design involving sixty-two male firefighters. Over two days, they completed the SMTQ, while colleagues and officers assessed their MT using the MTMTI. Analyses included concurrent validity and inter-rater reliability tests. Inter-rater reliability exhibited minimal agreement (Day 1: κ = 0.04, p = 0.172; Day 2: κ = 0.05, p = 0.063), low internal consistency (Day 1: α = 0.03, ω = 0.03; Day 2: α = 0.45, ω = 0.45), and weak inter-rater correlations (Day 1: ICC2k < 0.001, 95%CI [-0.53, 0.35]; Day 2: ICC2k = 0.13, 95%CI [-0.33, 0.43]). Concurrent validity showed limited correlations between self-assessed SMTQ scores and MTMTI ratings on both days (Day 1: r = -0.09, p = 0.5; Day 2: r = 0.1, p = 0.5). These findings may underscore the necessity to develop firefighting-specific MT tools, recognizing the unique demands and nuances of this high-stress profession.

This study aims to evaluate the relationships between sport mental toughness (SMT) and psychological wellbeing (PWB) of undergraduate student athletes. Mental toughness represents the ability of a person to cope with the demands of training and competition, increased determination, focus, confidence, and maintain control under pressure. Mental toughness has been explained as the ability of an athlete to cope with the requests of practice and competition, improved determination, focus, self-confidence and keeping control under pressure. The concept of PWB has been introduced in eudaimonic part as the realization of potential through some form of struggle. The sample of the study constituted by 130 participants from two Turkish universities, included participants from a Physical Education and Sport Education program from four years of standard undergraduate study. To assess mental toughness, the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) (Sheard et al., 2009) was administered; while to assess PWB, Ryff’s PWB scale (1989a) were given to volunteer participants. To identify the internal consistency of the validated questionnaires, Cronbach’s alpha score was used. The relationship between SMT and PWB was identified by conduction of Pearson Product Moment Correlations. To check for age, gender and level of the study, the hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses was used to examine the predictive capacity of mental toughness on PWB. Multiple linear regression analyses’ findings revealed that sub-dimensions of SMT were moderate to strong predictors of PWB with between 40 and 66% of variance explained. Consequently, the demographic factors were not found to predict PWB. These results are consistent with the assumptions and continue to show the potential importance of SMT within the physical education and sports learning environments. Key words: Mental toughness, psychological wellbeing, student athlete.

Psychological readiness is increasingly recognized as a critical component of training adaptation, performance sustainability, and recovery processes in female athletes. Beyond physical capacity, internal psychological resources such as athletic identity, sport confidence, and mental toughness play a key role in athletes’ ability to tolerate performance-related stress, maintain emotional control, and adapt to demanding training and competition environments. However, the interrelationships among these constructs and their contribution to psychological readiness remain insufficiently examined in female athletic populations. In this study, psychological readiness is conceptualized as an adaptive psychological capacity reflected through athletic identity, sport confidence, and mental toughness. This cross-sectional correlational study included 449 female university athletes participating in individual and team sports. Data were collected using the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), and Sport Confidence Inventory (SCI). Construct validity and reliability were confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFI = 0.95–0.99; RMSEA = 0.025–0.077; Cronbach’s α = 0.89–0.94). Relationships among variables were examined using Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling to test direct and mediating effects. Athletes demonstrated high levels of athletic identity (M = 3.69), sport confidence (M = 3.73), and mental toughness (M = 3.57). All constructs were positively and strongly correlated (r = .67–0.70, p < .001). Structural equation modeling revealed that athletic identity significantly predicted both sport confidence and mental toughness (p < .001). Sport confidence also exerted a significant positive effect on mental toughness (p < .001). When included as a mediator, sport confidence partially reduced—but did not eliminate—the direct effect of athletic identity on mental toughness, indicating a pattern consistent with partial statistical mediation. Model fit indices indicated satisfactory model fit (CFI = 0.94–0.96; RMSEA = 0.05–0.06). Athletic identity contributes to mental toughness both directly and indirectly through sport confidence in female athletes. These findings suggest that identity- and confidence-based psychological resources play an important role in psychological readiness and adaptation to performance-related stress. From an applied sport science and rehabilitation perspective, monitoring athletic identity and sport confidence may support training adaptation, psychological readiness, and informed return-to-play decision-making in female athletes. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associative rather than causal, and practical implications should be applied with appropriate caution.

Athletes recovering from injury face challenges not only in physical rehabilitation but also in sustaining adherence to rehabilitation programmes. Mental toughness, a psychological trait encompassing confidence, control, and consistency, may play a crucial role in promoting adherence. This study aimed to examine the strength of association between sports mental toughness (measured using the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire, SMTQ) and rehabilitation adherence (measured using the Sport Injury Rehabilitation Adherence Scale, SIRAS) among university-level athletes. Eighty athletes (42 male, 38 females; age mean = 21.4 years, SD = 2.0) undergoing active rehabilitation for sport-related injuries participated. Descriptive statistics showed moderate to high levels of mental toughness and moderate to high rehabilitation adherence. Pearson correlations revealed significant positive associations between SIRAS adherence scores and all three SMTQ subscales: confidence (r = .52, p = .0002), control (r = .47, p = .001), and consistency (r = .44, p = .002). The results suggest mental toughness is an important psychological variable in injury recovery. Interventions aimed at enhancing confidence, control, and consistency may help improve adherence and thereby recovery outcomes.

This study examines the construct validity of an original self-report instrument for the assessment of mental toughness: the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). Two independent studies supported a three-factor (Confidence, Constancy, and Control) 14-item model for the SMTQ. With a sample of 633 athletes (427 males, 206 females; M age = 21.5 years; SD = 5.48), drawn from 25 sport classifications, and competing at international, national, county and provincial, or club and regional standards, the first study utilized item development and exploratory factor analytic techniques to establish the psychometric properties of the SMTQ. Study 2 employed confirmatory factor analytic techniques with an independent sample of 509 sports performers (351 males, 158 females; M age = 20.2 years; SD = 3.35), competing at the aforementioned standards, and representative of 26 sports. Confirmatory analysis using structural equation modeling confirmed the overall structure. A single factor underlying mental toughness (Gmt) was identified with higher-order exploratory factor analysis using the Schmid-Leiman procedure. Collectively, satisfying absolute and incremental fit-index benchmarks, the inventory was shown to possess satisfactory psychometric properties, with adequate reliability, divergent validity, and discriminative power. The results revealed promising features of the SMTQ, lending preliminary support to the instrument’s factorial validity and reliability. Further construct validation of the SMTQ is recommended, including its use as an index for evaluating the effect of intervention programs.

BACKGROUND: Aim of this paper is to test the Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) in the setting of Chinese martial arts. The target population is adult European practitioners of modern and traditional wushu. Mental toughness is an established concept of being able to perform under pressure while remaining positive and perseverant. However, it has not yet been tested on this population. It is argued that Chinese martial arts can generate unique types of pressure situations, such as dealing with pain, body to body contact, fear of sparring, and a lack of designated levels of achievement, such as a belt ranking system. &#x0D; METHODS: 277 respondents (85 female) were sampled from 28 countries. The exploratory factor analysis was conducted in SPSS, and internal consistency was calculated. Confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS was used to evaluate the model fit.&#x0D; RESULTS: The EFA resulted in losing four items, with two items switching places on the components. The model reached a good fit of x 2/df = 1.307, IFI = .965, CFI = .963 and RMSEA = .047.&#x0D; CONCLUSIONS: This paper provided the validation of the SMTQ scale for a Chinese martial arts setting. Researching mental skills in the specific environment of Chinese martial arts may be a fruitful direction for further research, especially when developing a mental skills training program for this population. The modified model resulting from this study is the first step in this respect. Moreover, it confirms the recently discussed multidimensionality of the mental toughness model.

Objectives: Athlete burnout is a crucial concern affecting the development and athletic performance of young weightlifters. To reduce or relieve the prevalence of athlete burnout, this study examined the relationship across social support, sports motivation, mental toughness, and athlete burnout in weightlifters.Methods: A total of 315 weightlifters aged 17–28 years old (151 males, 164 females; Mage = 18.89 years, SD = 3.66) from Sichuan, Chongqing, and Shanxi in China participated in this survey. The Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire (PASS-Q), Sports Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), and Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) were used in this study. SPSS Statistics 19.0, AMOS 21.0, and PROCESS 3.0 macro were used to analyze the collected data.Results: The results indicated that weightlifters’ social support could negatively significantly affect athlete burnout [beta = −0.398; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.3699, −0.2184; P < 0.05) via mental toughness and sports motivation. The mediation analysis revealed that they had partial mediating effect, including three paths: First, social support had a direct effect on athlete burnout (beta = −0.150; 95% CI: −0.1824, −0.0397; P < 0.05); second, sport mental toughness had a mediating effect on athlete burnout (beta = −0.113; 95% CI: −0.1703, −0.0631; P < 0.05); and finally, sports motivation had a mediating effect on athlete burnout (beta = −0.124; 95% CI: −0.1751, −0.0793; P < 0.05).Conclusion: The findings revealed that social support could inhibit or prevent athlete burnout via mental toughness and sports motivation; thus, to decrease or relieve the prevalence of burnout in weightlifters, it is an important solution to enhance their social support.

SummaryPrevious research by the authors found that mental toughness, as measured by the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48 (MTQ48; Clough, P.J., Earle, K., &amp; Sewell, D. [2002]. Mental toughness: the concept and its measurement. In I. Cockerill (Ed.), Solutions in sport psychology [pp. 32–43]. London: Thomson Publishing), was significantly associated with performance on the list‐method directed forgetting task. The current study extends this finding to the item‐method directed forgetting task in which the instruction to Remember or Forget is given after each item in the study list. A significant positive association was found between the correct recognition of Remember words and the emotional control subscale of the MTQ48. No significant associations were observed with other measures of mental toughness or personality. The findings are discussed in terms of the relationship between mental toughness and cognitive control.