Abstract
Despite the abundance of literature examining the effects of mental toughness (MT) on increased athletic performance, challenge appraisal, and motivation within the context of sport, there is a paucity of literature examining mental toughness within the context of physical activity (PA). Furthermore, studies that have examined mental toughness within the context of PA only included athletes in their samples. PURPOSE: To examine MT and PA among college students enrolled in a mid-Western university. METHODS: Participants (N = 273) completed online questionnaires regarding age, sex, race, athlete status, MT, and PA. The Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48 (MTQ48) was used to measure MT while the International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to measure PA. Pearson’s Product-Moment Correlations were used to assess correlations between MT and PA. Independent samples t-tests were used to determine whether MT and PA varied according to sex (male vs female), race (White vs non-White), or athlete status (athlete vs non-athlete). RESULTS: There were no significant correlations between overall MT, total PA, VPA, MPA, and meeting PA guidelines. Of the six subscales of MT, only challenge showed significant correlations with overall PA, r(273) = .133, p < .05; VPA, r(273) = .199, p < .05; and meeting PA guidelines, r(273) = .119, p < .05. Scores on the challenge subscale of MT were higher for athletes compared to non-athletes (3.68±0.37 vs 3.55±0.43, p < .05). Furthermore, overall PA was higher for athletes compared to non-athletes (688.65±734.82 vs 324.80±511.70, p < .05), as was VPA (444.15±389.63 vs 191.73±269.78, p < .05). Additionally, PA was higher for males compared to females (329.57±16.44 vs 220.31± 323.72, p < .05). No significant differences were found between any form of MT and PA behaviors when regarding age and race. CONCLUSION: Mental toughness was not correlated with PA among college students. However, differences in MT and PA according to sex, race, and athletic status should be examined further.
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