Levels Of Mental Toughness Research Articles

MENTAL TOUGHNESS AND REJECTION SENSITIVITY IN ASSOCIATION OF WORK PERFORMANCE AMONG INTENSIVE CARE AND PSYCHIATRIC UNIT STAFF NURSES

Background: Most nurses who are working with intensive care and psychiatric patients accept psychological talents and skills as mental toughness and rejection sensitivity that affect their work performance. Aim: To determine the association of mental toughness, rejection sensitivity, and work performance among staff nurses working at intensive care unit and psychiatric unit. Setting: This study was conducted at Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) as a group I and Inpatient's Unit of the Psychiatric as group II. Subjects: The study subjects were composed of simple random sample of nurses (n=100) who working at the two settings. Tools: Three tools were used, Tool I: Mental Toughness Questionnaire, Tool II: Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, and Tool III: Nursing Work Performance Observational Checklist. Results: Majority (91.5%) of group II obtained an average level of mental toughness and rejection sensitivity compared to (54.7% and 81.1%) of group I respectively. The total mean of nurses' responses about work performance all were at moderate level Mean±SD(2.699±10.930) for group I compared to group II Mean±SD(2.368±9.081). Conclusion: There were neither associations nor correlations between mental toughness, rejection sensitivity levels and work performance levels among staff nurses working at intensive care unit and psychiatric unit nursing groups. Recommendations: Conducting educational training program for nurses at two units about mental toughness and rejection sensitivity and maintaining the periodical orientation of nurses at two units about work performance dimensions.

Relationship Between Mental Toughness, Stress, Anxiety and Depression

ABSTRACT. Introduction. Mental toughness (MT) is defined by some authors as being fundamental to success in life. In terms of sport at the highest level, is based on the athlete's ability to perform at optimal levels under conditions considered very demanding. MT is considered one of the most important psychological construct underlying sport performance, and is seen as an umbrella concept that encompasses a large number of psychological factors / features connected to each other. Objective. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between mental toughness, stress, anxiety and depression among a sample of athletes. Methods. The sample in this study consisted of 47 participants. There were 57.4% males and 42.6% females. Their age ranged from 19 to 30 years with M= 21.89 (SD = 2.72). 68.1% of them being performance athletes (from different sports) and 31.9% are students of the faculty of physical education. Results. Distribution indicators were evaluated against standard skewness and kurtosis criteria. There was no significant deviation from the standards. Correlation between Mental Toughness Inventory and Dass21 overall score was r= -.53; and between MT and stress, anxiety and depresion ranged between r= -.49 and r= -52. Correlation between Dass21 dimension ranged between r=.85 and r=.98. Conclusions. The results of the current study highlighted the relationship between mental toughness stress, anxiety and depresion. Higher levels of MT have a significant impact in reducing stress, anxiety and depression which can help athletes perform better.

Risk and Protective Factors of Generalized Anxiety Disorder of Elite Collegiate Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and its risk and protective factors in elite collegiate athletes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted during the 2019 in-season. A sample of elite collegiate athletes (n = 285) from China completed a self-report form assessing GAD and potential predictors including age, gender, sport type, sport achievement, sport injury, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), fear of failure, mental toughness, and satisfaction in sport. The overall prevalence of GAD symptoms was 22%. The results of zero-order correlation showed that age, gender, sport type, and sport achievement were not significantly related to GAD. However, athletes with a history of sport injury, a high risk of ADHD, and a high level of fear of failure had a significant and positive association with GAD (r = 0.14–0.54). Meanwhile, high levels of mental toughness and satisfaction in sport were significantly and negatively related to GAD (r = −0.22 to −0.24). The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that sport injury, ADHD, and fear of failure were significant risk factors of GAD (β = 0.10–0.40). These findings suggest the necessity to understand the GAD symptoms in elite collegiate athletes. Further research is needed to better understand and support the mental health of this target group.

Mental toughness of first division women football players in Gauteng Province, South Africa

The mental preparation of woman athletes, including woman football players, have been neglected for quite some time. For woman football players to perform to their full potential, they need to know how to play under pressure, get out of difficulties effectively and maintain their good performance when faced with continuous challenges during the game. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the psychological profiles of woman football players in first division leagues in Gauteng Province of South Africa, with a specific focus on their mental toughness. A quantitative approach was used to gather and analyse both the descriptive and inferential data. A purposive sample of 148 participants (aged 20.2 ± 5.7 years) from both the Sasol and South African Football Association (SAFA) leagues were asked to complete the Mental Skills Inventory (MSI), Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) and Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSQ) to assess their mental toughness levels. The results indicated that woman football players in South African first division leagues have a moderate ability for all variables of mental toughness, and could benefit from a psychological skills training programme aimed at increasing their self-esteem and anxiety management. A number of woman football players (26.4%) had high anxiety levels, while 33.8% showed low self-esteem, which could have a negative impact on the players while in a match setting. Furthermore, the outcomes of the results showed that self-esteem and anxiety were inversely related to the mental toughness of the players (.625 and -.436, respectively). These are two of the most important mental skills required for improving performance in a football match. Improving the mental toughness of the players could lead to an increase in self-esteem thereby reducing their anxiety levels to perform better. The study recommended that mental preparation be included in team preparation to improve performance outcomes as indicated by the positive relationship between physiological skills, mental toughness and sport performance.

Evolving the validity of a mental toughness measure: Refined versions of the Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48.

The Mental Toughness Questionnaire-48 (MTQ48) is a 48-item self-report instrument to measure one's level of mental toughness. Despite its wide popularity in psychological studies, the questionnaire has been criticized due to its factorial validity. The present study aimed to re-assess the factorial validity of the instrument and propose alternative models to provide researchers with theoretically and practically useful instruments to measure mental toughness. Two studies were conducted using large samples of university students (Study 1: n = 2186; Study 2: n = 3209). In Study 1, none of one-, four- and six-factor models with 48 items satisfactorily fit the data set. Instead, two refined 18- and 6-item versions of the questionnaire, covering six aspects of mental toughness, were proposed: the Short MTQ and Very Short MTQ. Both measures demonstrated excellent fit to the data. These results were replicated with a larger independent sample in Study 2. With the Short MTQ, it is possible to represent mental toughness as a multidimensional construct consisting of a global mental toughness factor and six specific factors. The Very Short MTQ is a practical tool for occasions where constraints prevent use of the Short MTQ. The refined questionnaires are promising options to measure and understand individuals' mental toughness with the MTQ.

Transformational parenting and coaching on mental toughness and physical performance in adolescent soccer players: The moderating effect of athlete age

Both parent and coach leadership behaviours are instrumental to adolescent athlete development. Researchers, however, are yet to examine parent and coach leadership influences simultaneously, and at different stages of adolescents’ psychological and physical development. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand if the effects of transformational parenting, and transformational coaching on mental toughness and performance varied at different ages during adolescence. Early adolescent (ages 10–14) and late adolescent (ages 15–18) soccer players (n = 334) completed questionnaires assessing their perceptions of their mother’s, father’s, and coach’s transformational leadership, as well as a questionnaire assessing mental toughness. Participants also completed a comprehensive battery of physical fitness tests relevant to soccer. Results indicated that transformational fathering was more strongly associated with levels of mental toughness for early adolescent athletes than it was for later adolescent athletes. Results also indicated that transformational coaching was more strongly associated with physical performance for later adolescent athletes than it was for early adolescents. Overall, these results can inform development models and provide support for future longitudinal studies to assess the impact of parent and coach transformational leadership across different stages of athlete development.

Study on emotional intelligence and mental toughness levels of cross country skiing athletes

Study on emotional intelligence and mental toughness levels of cross country skiing athletes

Fast talkers? Investigating the influence of self-talk on mental toughness and finish times in 800-meter runners

The purpose of this study was to explore whether a personalized self-talk intervention influenced mental toughness, rating of perceived exertion, sense of the urge to slow down, perceived performance and finish times in a series of 800-meter run time trials. While mental toughness has been associated with improved endurance performance, the effect of changing an individual’s momentary self-talk on mental toughness and finish time has not yet been examined. This single-subject, multiple baseline design case study incorporated three participants who each ran a series of 11 − 13 maximum effort 800-meter time trials on the track, separated by a minimum of two days, across ten weeks. Following an initial series of four to six baseline sessions, they were each then provided a personalized self-talk intervention before running the seven additional sessions. Visual analysis (including review of non-overlapping data points between baseline, intervention, and follow-up sessions) demonstrated the personalized self-talk intervention positively influenced mental toughness and finish times across all three participants but did not consistently affect the rating of perceived exertion, urge to slow down or perceived performance. Additional insights were identified through the integration of social validation interviews informally after each run session and then formally after the intervention. These insights included identifying a new baseline of effort accompanied by different levels of mental toughness and an intrigue on the part of participants about the notable improvement in outcomes in spite of previously perceived “all-out” effort. Lay Summary: Mental toughness variability and 800 meter finish times were both positively influenced by a personalized self-talk intervention in runners. In addition, as mental toughness increased, 800 meter finish times improved.

Investigation of Mental Toughness Levels of Individuals Who Actively Do Sports: A Sample of the City of Elazig

The aim of this study is to investigate the mental toughness levels of individuals who actively do sports in the face of events they face during sportive performances. Mental toughness is among the psychological characteristics to achieve the highest performance by athletes and coaches. Mental toughness is also important in terms of evaluating the performances of athletes and support their development. The population of the study consisted of individuals who actively do sports in the city of Elazig while the sample of the study consisted of 156 active athletes, who were chosen by the simple random sampling method. As the data collection tools, the personal information form, which was created by the researchers, and the Mental Toughness Scale (MTS), which was developed by Madrigal et al. (2013) and adapted into Turkish by Nevzat Erdogan by 2016, were used. In conclusion, of the athletes who participated in the study, it was observed that male athletes had higher levels of mental toughness compared to female athletes according to the gender variable. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in terms of the variables of marital status, age, educational status, sports experience and sports branch.

Mental Toughness as Correlate of Athletes` Performance in Track And Field Events Among Secondary Schools in Osun State, Nigeria

The study was designed to examine mental toughness as a correlate of Athletes` performance in track and field events. The study was carried out purposively selecting 300 student athletes of Osun state secondary schools. The respondents had participated in intra-mural and extra-mural sports competitions, out which 300 athletes made of 150 track and 150 field events were purposively as respondents. An instrument, Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI) was used to measure the mental toughness levels of the athletes showing scores obtained, while the position ranking during competitions and marks allotted for each was used to measure the performance. Pearson Product Moment Correlation “r” was used to determine the relationship between mental toughness and performance of the athletes, with significance level set at 0.05 levels. The result revealed that there was no significant relationship between performance of track event athletes and mental toughness, but there was significant relationship between performance of field event athletes and mental toughness, however, in overall both events showed significant correlation. The study concluded that mental toughness has relationship with performance and could enhanced performance if proper instructed by coaches to the athletes.

A qualitative exploration of mentally tough behaviour in Australian football

ABSTRACTThe primary aim of this research was to generate insight into observable mentally tough behaviours, or MTb, across different contexts (e.g., training and competition) in an Australian football (AF) environment. A second aim of this research was to explore the utility of MTb as a distinct concept, and identify common behavioural qualities associated with MTb that separate it from other similar constructs. In total, 10 experienced full-time football operations staff were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide, with inductive thematic analysis employed to analyse the data. Five main themes relating to MTb were identified: adaptive development, consistent training conduct, composed performance actions, responsible and accountable, and team supportive. Overall, the findings of the research provided preliminary support for the proposition that there exists a collection of MTb that are displayed more frequently by athletes considered to possess high levels of mental toughness compared to athletes who are perceived to have low levels of this psychological capacity. We propose a collection of necessary and sufficient behavioural qualities and a working definition of MTb to further our understanding of potential strategies to develop MT.

Is Mental Toughness in Elite Athletes a Predictor of Moral Disengagement in Sports?

The aim of this study was to determine whether mental toughness levels of athletes engaged in the elite-level team and individual sports in Ankara and Erzurum were predictors of moral disengagement in sports. The sample of the study consisted of randomly-selected 515 athletes who were actively engaged in sports in their clubs in 2017. The “Moral Disengagement in Sport Scale-Short” (MDSS) developed by Boardley and Kavussanu (2008) and adapted to Turkish by Gülpınar (2015), and the “Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire” (SMTQ) developed by Sheard et al. (2009) and adapted to Turkish by Pehlivan (2014) were used as data collection tools. In the analysis of the data, frequency, percentage, Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient and linear regression analysis were utilized.
 
 As a result of the analyzes, no significant difference was found between confidence, one of the sub-scales of the SMTQ, and moral disengagement, but there was a weak positive significant relationship between the constancy and control sub-scales. As a result of the linear regression analysis, it was found that moral disengagement predicted the constancy and control sub-scales significantly and explained 4% and 3% of the variance, respectively, but it was found that the confidence sub-scale was not predicted significantly.

The Mental Toughness of State and University Football Players in Malaysia

This study aimed to identify and compare the level of mental toughness that consisted of five subfactors namely the reversal of mistakes, pressure control, focus, self-confidence, and motivation among football players of a state and university football team. The questionnaire used in this study was Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) that measure the level of mental toughness among the players. The findings showed that the state players scored greater mistake reversibility, pressure control, focus concentration, and self-confidence compared to university players. No significant differences of motivation between those two clubs. The findings of this study can provide guidance to coaches especially to identify the level of mental strength among their players and provide appropriate mental training.

Coach Rating Combined With Small-Sided Games Provides Further Insight Into Mental Toughness in Sport.

Literature indicates that mental toughness contributes to successful performance when faced with challenge. This study used an exemplar sport of Australian Rules football to investigate whether skilled performance thrived across increased challenge in small-sided games. Higher (n = 14) and lower (n = 17) skilled Australian footballers were recruited. First, coaches rated participants’ mental toughness (MTC) using the Mental Toughness Index. Second, participants competed in small-sided games where challenge was manipulated by varying the attacker to defender ratio to create lower and higher pressure scenarios. Decision-making, motor skill execution, and a combined total were measured. MTC rating was higher for higher skilled players. Total score of higher skilled players was significantly superior to lower skilled players in higher and lower pressure scenarios (p = 0.003). A “pressure differential score,” calculated to determine whether participants maintained performance across increased challenge, indicated a significant decrease in performance (total score) from lower to higher pressure scenarios for lower skilled (p = 0.011), but not for higher skilled (p = 0.060) players. Furthermore, MTC scores were predictive of high pressure scenario total scores (p = 0.011). Findings suggest higher levels of mental toughness may contribute to maintain performance across the increased challenge of pressure within small-sided games. Practitioners can subjectively rate athlete mental toughness and then structure small-sided games to objectively measure performance under pressure scenarios. This provides an interdisciplinary approach to assess and train psychomotor skill.

Mental Toughness As A Moderator Of The Physical Exercise - Esports Performance Relationship: A Pilot Study.

eSports popularity has been growing faster than any sport in history (global audience, money prizes, NCAA scholarships, part of 2022 Asian Games). Preliminary data show a positive relationship between physical exercise (PEx) and eSports performance (eSP). To date, there has been no effort to explore the effect of the player’s level of mental toughness (MT) on eSports key performance indicators (KPI), such as placement in a contest. PURPOSE: (a) To explore the perceptions of players concerning the relationship between PEx and eSP; (b) To confirm the positive aforementioned relationship; (c) to investigate the moderation effect of MT in that relationship; and (d) provide evidence for larger-scale efforts. METHODS: Data were collected on 23 male recreational eSport competitors (>6hours per week) (Mage =20.7, SD=2.1). The eight-item Mental Toughness Index (MTI) was used to measure MT, one question with five scales (0=significantly negatively, 5=significantly positively) was used to collect information on their perceptions, number of days of exercise per week was used as an indicator of PEx, and average place on Fortnite: Solo matches over 3 hours was used as KPI. We investigated the moderating role of MT using regression analysis in R. Predictors were mean-centered. The interaction was probed looking at simple slopes. RESULTS: The majority of players tended to perceive PEx as having no significant or negative effect on eSP (65%). The estimated regression model without an interaction is KPI = 27.6 + 3.13(PEx) + 1.07(MT), where R2 = .296. The estimated regression model with an interaction is KPI = 26.7 + 3.36(PEx) + 0.85(MT) + 0.4(PEx x MT), where R2 = .310. Simple slopes of PEx conditional on MT scores +1SD, Mean, and -1SD are: 4.72, 3.29, and 1.86, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to the players’ belief, PEx was found to be positively correlated with eSP. Furthermore, we identified a potentially enhancing moderating effect of MT on the relationship between frequency of exercise and eSP. Therefore, not only PEx but also psychological skill training (PST), such as MT training, may be beneficial for the players on their effort to place higher and win larger prizes. This pilot study offers preliminary evidence for the need for larger-scale similar projects. Future studies should recruit professional eSports players, as well.

EXAMINATION OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS LEVELS OF DART PLAYERS

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the mental toughness levels of athletes interested in the dart sector. Methods: In our study; SMTQ, consisting of 13 items and 3 sub-dimensions were used. The sample group consisted of 53 athletes and personal information form also applied to the participants. Since the data set did not conform to the normal distribution, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis H tests were used for nonparametric. Results: At the end of the research; there is no statistically significant difference found in all sub-dimensions of the scale when the level of the mental toughness of the participants is examined according to gender and age group. However, we found that there is a significant difference in confidence sub-dimension also there was no statistically significant difference in the average constancy and control sub-dimensions of the participants according to the training age groups. Conclusions: In the study, it was determined that age and gender variables had no effect on mental toughness level in the sport, however, the athletes with 4-5 years of experience in the confidence subscale of the training age had less mental toughness than the other groups. In this respect, we can say that more experienced athletes have more mental toughness levels. Article visualizations:

Structural Equation Modeling of Mental Toughness Among University Learners

BACKGROUND: Mental toughness is recognized as an important component towards academic success thus making its psychological qualities determine how challenges are effectively addressed during pressurized situations. Challenges facing undergraduate learners in the context of mental toughness had been broadly investigated mostly in developed countries. Most of the studies centered on sports and descriptive findings lack critical analysis.
 
 OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the current study was to investigate the level of mental toughness of university learners and the impact on the learners' academic performance. The current study also investigated whether university learners who were reported with greater mental toughness are more likely to be academically successful than those lower in mental toughness.
 
 METHODS: This quantitative study employed SmartPls 3 software to predict the significant level of motivation, self-reliance, concentration and coping with pressure on academic performance among university learners. Two universities were considered for assessing the structural equation modeling of mental toughness. Additionally, sources of data included reviews of different books on the related topics, research studies, articles, journals, newspapers, and magazines. Substantial information has been gathered from these sources thus allowing for appropriate analysis, compilation, interpretation, and structuring of the entire study. Thus, in an attempt to isolate and categorize potential attributes of mental toughness and its impact on academic performance, the available literature reviewed. This quantitative study considered adoptable in handling bias findings. A sample size of 417 considered appropriate for a variance based structural equation modeling. A total number of 417 responses gathered from Angeles University Foundation (AUF) and Baliuag University (BU), Philippines considered for this mental toughness study.
 
 RESULTS: A total of a 75 percent from the questionnaires (477) returned from a sum 600 questionnaires distributed to specified respondents. Demographic details report that female responded with round-off 60%, this implied that female strive more in education than male. Ages 17-20 occupied 55% nursing/medicine marked around of 34% to top among the six colleges investigated in this study, next was college of business and administration marked around of 20% to take second place. This study suggested that students considered more to be medical doctors, professional nurses and business practitioners in the future rather than being professional teachers or system engineers. Reliability and validity of this study reported according to the Smart-Pls algorithm factor matrix, Cronbach's alpha, rho_A, and composite reliability all above 0.7 thresholds. Also, the average variance extracted from 0.5 achieved. The discriminant validity of this study based on Fornell-Lackner criterion, factor loading at 0.6 above and Heterotrait Monotrait Ratio quality achieved. Conclusively, all supported path coefficients significant at the p-values < 0.01. In a nutshell, partial least squares algorithm reported about a 58% variance explained from the entire structured model.
 
 CONCLUSION: The adopted factors for this structural equation modeling of mental toughness for university learners achieved fifty-eight percent variance explained in the study. Future studies can be directed towards replicating the use of this model in other locations and different analytical techniques.

An Examination of Concentration and Mental Toughness in Professional Basketball Players

This study was carried out to investigate the concentration and mental toughness of professional basketball players. A total of 290 professional basketball players aged 16–26 years who played in the Turkish Basketball First and Second Leagues participated in the study. The “Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ-14)” developed by Sheard et al. (2009) was used to determine mental toughness levels of the basketball players participating in the study, and the “Letter Cancellation Task” scale developed by Kumar and Telles (2009) was used to determine their concentration levels. Data were analyzed by using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, an independent samples t-test, and one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA).Results show that the concentration ability of the basketball players did not significantly differ in terms of gender, age and sports age. There were statistically significant differences in overall mental toughness, confidence and control. The players’ mental toughness and confidence scores differed significantly based on sports age. It is interesting to find that overall mental toughness was higher in the basketball players with a sports age of 1–5 years. According to their positions in the play, the players’ concentration ability was found to be significantly different between guards and pivots in favor of the guards. The concentration ability of the players playing at the guard position was higher than that of the players playing at other positions. Overall mental toughness and its sub-dimensions had no significant differences according to the positions. However, it is striking that overall mental toughness scores and its sub-dimension scores were high in guards and pivots.

A 3000-mile tour of mental toughness: An autoethnographic exploration of mental toughness intra-individual variability in endurance sport

Mental toughness has garnered considerable attention over the past two decades because of the perception that this psychological construct influences an athlete’s ability to strive, thrive, and survive in sport. However, few researchers have explored the lived experiences of mental toughness within endurance sport. Analysis of lived experiences could help reveal how an athlete demonstrates (or does not demonstrate) mental toughness in real-world settings and provide insights for researchers, coaches and athletes in the future. The current autoethnographic approach offers an alternative perspective to supplement the existing mental toughness literature, and provides the most appropriate format to analyze the within-person mental toughness element at the core of this research study. The study recounts and analyses the personal experience of mental toughness across a trilogy of cycling, triathlon, and running endurance events by a single athlete over a 5-month period. The main findings focus on the variability of perceived mental toughness at different stages of competition and training and identify potential factors driving the notable fluctuation in levels of mental toughness. Factors identified as increasing this within-person mental toughness included anger, love, competition, encouragement and the recognition of a last chance to achieve meaningful goals. These findings are expected to support future research into within-person mental toughness and the practical application across a broader spectrum of settings.

Analysis on the influence of nursing intervention based on Newman system model on mental toughness of nursing undergraduates

Objective To explore the effect in improving mental toughness of nursing undergraduate students on Newman system model. Methods A total of 490 undergraduate nursing students were conducted nursing intervention on mental toughness in nursing college on Newman system model.All students was investigated with the Adolescent Mental Resilience Scale to measure the effect of this model on the level of mental toughness of undergraduate nursing students before and after nursing intervention 1 months, 2 months and 3 months. Results The score of mental toughness of 490 undergraduate nursing students were(97.69±13.49)and 2 months after the intervention, the scores of students' mental resilience were significantly higher than those of before the intervention, and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). Conclusions The mental resilience of science undergraduates is at a moderate high level, and a series of measures based on the Newman system model have achieved good results in improving the mental resilience of nursing undergraduates. Key words: Newman system model; Undergraduate nursing students; Mental toughness