Do cognitive exercises affect emotional resilience?

There is conceptual overlap between mental toughness and resilience, self-efficacy, and grit, although few studies have empirically examined the overlap between them. In addition, little research has examined the extent to which there is an empirical advantage of using the mental toughness framework to predict outcomes of interest. The current study therefore explored the predictive validity of mental toughness, specifically in terms of the extent to which it predicts happiness over and above the cognate constructs of resilience, self-efficacy, and grit. Three hundred and sixty-seven participants completed measures of mental toughness, resilience, self-efficacy, grit, and happiness. The correlations between the variables were explored, and a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to examine the extent to which mental toughness predicted happiness over and above resilience, self-efficacy, and grit. There were significant correlations between mental toughness, resilience, self-efficacy, and grit. When resilience, self-efficacy and grit were entered into the regression each of them was a significant predictor of happiness, but when mental toughness was added they were no longer significant predictors, with the commitment, control of emotion, control of life, confidence in abilities, and interpersonal confidence components of mental toughness being significant predictors. Therefore, despite conceptual overlap, if the aim of research or practice is to identify individuals at risk of poor wellbeing, then this aim is better met when using the construct of mental toughness. The role of mental toughness in happiness also suggests value in examining the impact of mental toughness interventions in the domain of wellbeing.

Object: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between resilience and mindfulness with mental toughness mediated by self-compassion in cancer patients.
 Method: The method of this research is descriptive and the correlational research design is structural equation modeling. The statistical population in this study included cancer patients in 1399 who were selected by purposive sampling. The sample consisted of 200 cancer patients (male and female) referred to the Oncology Clinical Center of Imam Hossein Hospital in Tehran. To collect data from the Short Form of Mindfulness Mind Scale, the Resilience Scale, the Compassion Scale Form, and the mental toughness Scale were used. The bootstrap method was used to analyze the intermediate relationships.
 Results: The results showed that the direct effect of resilience and mindfulness on self-compassion was significant with coefficients of (0.27) and (0.29). The direct effect of mindfulness on mental toughness, (0.056) was not significant, but the direct effect of resilience on mental toughness (0.31) was significant. The indirect effects of resilience and mindfulness on mental toughness with mediating role of self- compassion were significant respectively with coefficients (0.089) and (0.092).
 Conclusion: The results of the research have practical implications for health professionals and psychologists and it can be concluded that Resilience and Mindfulness by the mediating role of self-compassion effects on the mental toughness of cancer patients.

To examine how strongly the attributes of resilience and mental toughness predicted levels of anxiety, depression, and mental well-being, a quantitative online survey of 281 adults was employed. The survey was conducted in the United Kingdom (April to June 2021) using opportunity sampling. Resilience, mental toughness, and mental well-being were measured by the 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale, the 10-item mental toughness questionnaire, and the 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh mental well-being scale, respectively. In addition, the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) measured anxiety and depression, and the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure depression. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to analyze which attribute was the strongest predictor of mental health. Mental toughness was found to be a significantly stronger predictor of well-being (β=0.54) than resilience (β=0.21), of anxiety (β=-0.70 versus 0.02, respectively), of HADS depression (β=-0.52 versus -0.15), and of PHQ-9 depression (β=-0.62 versus -0.09). We propose that mental toughness may predict well-being more strongly than resilience because it is a broader construct, incorporating proactive traits that enhance well-being. The findings suggest that training and interventions that enhance mental toughness in non-clinical populations may be more effective at promoting mental well-being and reducing anxiety and depression than those that enhance resilience. Further research is required to test these practical implications and to clarify why mental toughness is a stronger predictor than resilience for positive mental health.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the influence of the mental toughness (MT) trait on resilience, cognitive appraisals and perceived performance states and (2) to explore dynamic relationships between these states among soccer goalkeepers during a competitive season. Thirty-six soccer goalkeepers from regional to professional levels first voluntarily completed a questionnaire measuring their mental toughness. Subsequently, a single-item approach was used to assess resilience, cognitive appraisals (threat, loss, challenge and benefit) and subjective performance every 2 weeks for 4 months. Results of multilevel analyses showed that mental toughness significantly and positively predicted resilience, which significantly and positively predicted benefit appraisal and negatively predicted threat appraisal. Moreover, subjective performance was significantly and positively predicted by benefit appraisal. Our results also revealed the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between mental toughness and appraisals (threat and benefit) as well as the mediating role of benefit appraisal in the relationship between resilience and subjective performance. Practical applications are proposed to optimize the daily experiences of goalkeepers, such as creating a supportive climate.

An important aspect of mental health in children is emotional resilience: the capacity to adapt to, and recover from, stressors and emotional challenges. Variation in trait mindfulness, one's disposition to attend to experiences with an open and nonjudgmental attitude, may be an important individual difference in children that supports emotional resilience. In this study, we investigated whether trait mindfulness was related to emotional resilience in response to stressful changes in education and home-life during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. We conducted a correlational study examining self-report data from July 2020 to February 2021, from 163 eight-to ten-year-old children living in the US. Higher trait mindfulness scores correlated with less stress, anxiety, depression, and negative affect in children, and lower ratings of COVID-19 impact on their lives. Mindfulness moderated the relationship between COVID-19 child impact and negative affect. Children scoring high on mindfulness showed no correlation between rated COVID-19 impact and negative affect, whereas those who scored low on mindfulness showed a positive correlation between child COVID-19 impact and negative affect. Higher levels of trait mindfulness may have helped children to better cope with a wide range of COVID-19 stressors. Future studies should investigate the mechanisms by which trait mindfulness supports emotional resilience in children.

Objective To explore the effect of mental toughness level on positive and negative emotion and mental health in children with epilepsy. Methods In accordance with the International League against epilepsy and epilepsy syndrome in 1989 International Classification of young children with epilepsy, 160 cases were sampled. Based on the Adolescent Resilience Scale ( HKRA ) score, according to the 27% principles of delimitation, the patients were divided into high HKRA score group and low HKRA score group, 43 cases in each group.Then positive emotions and negative affect scale (PANAS), mental health test (MHT) were applied to two groups. Results , Except family support dimension, the others HKRA dimension and total score were higher in female children with epilepsy than those in male patients, there was significant difference (P<0.01). The positive affect score were higher in high HKRA score group than that of low HKRA group; and negative emotion was significantly lower than that in low HKRA group (P<0.01). Except physical symptom dimension, other dimensions and total score of HKRA in high HKRA score group were higher than those in low HKRA group, there was significant difference (P<0.01). Children with epilepsy HKRA score was positive correlation with positive emotion score but negative correlation with negative affect scores (P<0.01); in addition to physical symptom, HKRA score and MHT score, and all the other dimensions were negatively related (P<0.01 or 0.015). Conclusion The mental toughness level are significantly related to children's epilepsy patients with positive and negative emotion and mental health status.A high level of mental toughness can increase positive emotional experience, and reduce the negative emotional experience of children with epilepsy. Key words: Mental toughness; Epilepsy; Young children's; Positive/negative emotional; Psychology health

AbstractFollowing the positive youth development perspective that emphasizes the importance of focusing on the positive assets of youth to be developed, this study examined the variables related with mental toughness, a trainable skill that is associated with psychological and academic well‐being outcomes, in preadolescent youth. The effect of self‐compassion on the mental toughness of preadolescents and the serial mediating effect of positive/negative affect and psychological resilience was explored for the first time in the literature to the best of our knowledge, via the causal‐comparative model. The study group consisted of a total of 263 preadolescents (ages 10–13). The results show that self‐compassion increases positive affect and this increases the mental toughness of preadolescents. As negative affect is negatively associated with mental toughness, by decreasing negative affect, self‐compassion positively influences mental toughness. Alternately, self‐compassion increases resilience, which in turn increases mental toughness. The findings of this study indicate that positive/negative affect and resilience play a serial mediating role in the relationship between self‐compassion and mental toughness. These relationships highlight the components to be included in interventions directed toward adolescents to improve the trainable skill of mental toughness, which can then lead to positive well‐being outcomes concurrently and through adulthood.

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) continues to prepare for conflict. A mixed method study explored leaders’ perception of cognitive agility and mental resilience preparedness for future challenges in planning, mission execution, and decision making. An online survey and in-person interviews addressed two research questions (RQ); What are the perceptions of leader preparedness to exercise cognitive agility and mental resilience for future challenges? What impact might a focused Decision Forcing Case (DFC) have on preparing leaders to exercise cognitive agility and mental resilience in planning, mission execution, and decision making for future challenges? Thematic coding of the data formed the literature themes and shaped a theoretical framework. Data analysis results identified three key points; Refine instruction to develop proactive, agile thinking leaders, increase confidence to prepare Marines to be proactive in uncertain and ambiguous environments, and be diligent with recommended revisions to curriculum design and implementations of educative approaches to best prepare leaders for future challenges. A summary of the findings discussed three future implications for designing education and training; Ensure leaders understand and exercise cognitive agility and mental resilience, develop courses and practical exercises focused on preparation for future conflict, and research, create, and incorporate focused DFCs, Tactical Decision Games (TDG), and Kriegspiels (KS) to evaluate and elevate Marines’ cognitive agility and mental resilience in planning, mission execution, and decision making for future challenges. Conclusively data supports leaders’ plans to develop and deliver deliberate curriculum to prepare leaders for 21st conflict.

Mental toughness (MT) is defined as a set of attributes that allow an individual to persevere through difficult circumstances that ultimately can lead to successful outcomes. It is also a critical component of maximizing the performance of an athlete. These attributes assist with and promote a state of mind that enhances performance. A negative state of mind can work against an athlete and inhibit performance. Mental toughness consists of six elements: strength, flexibility, resiliency, sportsmanship, responsiveness and ethics. Goal setting, self-talk and visual imagery are also factors that play a role in MT. Mental toughness minimizes the mental inhibition one can develop subconsciously. Multiple studies have examined whether MT can be developed or whether it is something that is already present in the individual through genetics. There are arguments to support both sides of this debate. This article describes skills that make a person more mentally tough, as well as strategies to improve MT.

Cognitive effort is intrinsically linked to task difficulty, intelligence, and mental toughness. Intelligence reflects an individual’s cognitive aptitude, whereas mental toughness (MT) reflects an individual’s resilience in pursuing success. Research shows that parietal alpha oscillations are associated with changes in task difficulty. Critically, it remains unclear whether parietal alpha oscillations are modulated by intelligence and MT as a personality trait. We examined event-related (de)synchronization (ERD/ERS) of alpha oscillations associated with encoding, retention, and recognition in the Sternberg task in relation to intelligence and mental toughness. Eighty participants completed the Sternberg task with 3, 4, 5 and 6 digits, Raven Standard Progressive Matrices test and an MT questionnaire. A positive dependence on difficulty was observed for all studied oscillatory effects (t = −8.497, p < 0.001; t = 2.806, p < 0.005; t = −2.103, p < 0.05). The influence of Raven intelligence was observed for encoding-related alpha ERD (t = −2.02, p = 0.049). The influence of MT was observed only for difficult conditions in recognition-related alpha ERD (t = −3.282, p < 0.005). Findings indicate that the modulation of alpha rhythm related to encoding, retention and recognition may be interpreted as correlates of cognitive effort modulation. Specifically, results suggest that effort related to encoding depends on intelligence, whereas recognition-related effort level depends on mental toughness.