Mental Toughness Research

An extensive body of research has investigated links between perfectionism and motivation, yet the underlying mechanisms linking these psychological characteristics have been underexplored. In this study, we used an integrative modelling approach to examine associations between dimensions of perfectionism (i.e., personal standards [PSP] and concerns over mistakes [CMP]), mental toughness (MT), and motivational orientations (i.e., self- [SDM] and non-self-determined motivation [NSDM]). Based on a sample of 318 male (n = 218) and female (n = 100) tennis players (Mage = 17.61, SD = 2.41), fit indices derived from structural equation modelling supported a partially mediated model. Residual PSP associated positively with MT (β = .74) and SDM (β = .40), and negatively with NSDM (β = -.22). Conversely, residual CMP associated negatively with MT (β = .14) and SDM (β = -.19), and positively with NSDM (β = .73). Mental toughness was positively associated with SDM (β = .28), but was unrelated to NSDM (β = .07). The relationship between residual PSP and SDM was partially mediated by MT (standardized indirect effect: 95% CI = .19, .46). The findings of this study support research linking dimensions of perfectionism with motivational orientations and offers preliminary evidence on the mediating role of MT in the association between these psychological constructs. With emerging research supporting the capacity to develop MT through targeted interventions, the findings are discussed alongside salient implications.

Background/Purpose:
Today’s modern workplace is both fast-paced and highly stressful. Employees are expected to manage workplace stress, while at the same time perform at their highest levels. This study aimed to better understand mental toughness at the workplace. Specifically, the study looked at the relationships between mental toughness and (1) perceived stress, (2) employee age, and (3) gender.
Method:
275 workplace employees, between the ages of 17 and 57, from various companies and across different industries completed the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48 (MTQ 48; Clough, Earle, & Sewell, 2002) and Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1983). Participants also provided demographic information on their age and gender.
Analysis/Results:
Results showed: (1) staff with higher levels of mental toughness perceive lower levels of stress; (2) mental toughness appears to increase with age; and (3) male and female workplace employees are similar in terms of their mental toughness levels.
Conclusions:
All hypotheses were fully supported. Results suggest that employee mental toughness should be developed to help buffer perceptions of stress at the workplace. However, if left to develop by itself, mental toughness may progress only as quickly as time and experience allows. More can be done to enhance the mental well-being and, subsequently, the performance levels of employees. Some practical suggestions for companies are provided.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of mental toughness on the performance score of table tennis players. To work on this purpose a total of 24 table tennis players (male and female) were selected as the subjects purposively. The Mental Toughness Questionnaire developed by Goldberg (1995) was used to measure the level of mental toughness of the players. ANOVA and independent t-test was computed to find out the significant relationship. Level of significance was set at 0.05. The results indicate that- there is significant relationship exists for the handling pressure a sub-category of mental toughness among table tennis female and male players, further it was found that there is no significant difference exists between table tennis female and male players in the variables of concentration, mental rebounding, and winning attitude and/or other sub-categories of mental toughness. The comparison between female and male in this study has not shown any significant diffe...

The purpose of the present study was to determine the level of mental toughness (MT) of South African competitive tennis players as a function of ethnicity, sex, age, length of tennis participation, and competitive standard. Competitive tennis players, 191 males and 174 females, completed the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated statistically significant differences in MT based on age as well as length of tennis participation, but not as a function of the players’ ethnicity, sex, and competitive standard. Older age groups and athletes participating for longer periods of time tended to report higher levels of total MT, constancy, and control compared to the younger and less experienced age groups. Age and length of participation group differences between the older age (30–48 years and 49 years and older) and longer period of participation (16–25 years, 26–35 years, and 36 or more years) categories were not found for total MT, constancy, and control. The implications for the nature and development of MT in competitive tennis are discussed, with the need to consider personal and sport involvement characteristics, among other factors, when designing MT interventions that are appropriate for individual tennis players.

Objectives
Students today face a myriad of stressors and the increasing need to adapt, cope and perform under pressure. Emerging studies show that higher mental toughness is associated with higher psychological well-being and lower perceived stress (Gerber et al., 2013; Stamp et al., 2015). However, very little research has explored the relevance of mental toughness as a plausible psychological coping resource to benefit students' overall well-being and academic performance in the Asian context.

As such, it was hypothesized that (1) mental toughness predicts students' levels of perceived stress; (2) perceived stress predicts students' levels of overall academic scores; and (3) mental toughness predicts students' overall academic score.

Methods
124 secondary school male students aged 14 to 18 years (M = 15.50, SD = 0.79) completed the 48-item Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ48; Clough et al., 2002), the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10; Cohen, 1988), and indicated their overall percentage score obtained in the previous academic year.

Results
Hypothesis 1. Mental toughness explained 41.90% of the variance in perceived stress, β =-.16, F(1, 121) = 87.14, p < .001. Students with higher mental toughness had lower perceived stress levels.

Hypothesis 2. Perceived stress explained 9.30% of the variance in students' overall academic score, β =-.09, F(1, 121) = 12.41, p = .001. Students with higher perceived stress levels had lower academic scores.

Hypothesis 3. Mental toughness explained 6.40% of the variance in students' overall academic score, β = .02, F(1, 121) = 8.27, p = .005. Students with higher mental toughness had higher academic scores.

Conclusions
The results of this study show the relevance of mental toughness in coping with stress, and its potential usefulness in improving student well-being and, ultimately, overall academic performance. Mental toughness could serve as a useful coping resource for students through mental skills development or training.

We examined associations between mental toughness, self-directed, negatively toned emotions and cognitions, and self-forgiveness. With reference to their participation in competitive tennis, a sample of 343 competitive tennis players (Mage = 17.56, SD = 2.37) completed questionnaires measuring their mental toughness, self-forgiveness, and tendency to experience shame, anger, and criticism towards themselves. Mental toughness associated negatively with self-oriented shame, anger, and criticism, and positively with self-forgiveness. The effect of mental toughness on both shame and anger towards the self was fully mediated by self-forgiveness, whereas self-forgiveness partially mediated the effect for self-criticism. The findings support the role of self-forgiveness, over mental toughness, in reducing or eliminating self-condemning, resentful, and devaluing responses that athletes direct towards themselves.

Ventiquattro secoli dopo la sua formulazione la Dottrina delle Idee di Platone si mostra a noi oggi in tutta la sua attualità e lungimiranza. Infatti confrontando alcuni elementi della Dottrina con delle recenti scoperte scientifiche, non si può non restare sbalorditi dalle grandiose capacità di indagine del mondo sensibile e metafisico del filosofo ateniese, un vero e proprio precursore dei tempi. .

In order to improve the performance of reinforced cement concrete structure (RCC) it is better to repair or upgrade the structure by retrofitting. Retrofitting is one of the best options to make an existing inadequate building safe against future probable earthquake or other environmental forces. Retrofitting is the modification of existing structure to make them more resistance to seismic action, motion of ground and failure of soil due to earthquake or other natural calamities such as tornadoes cyclones and winds with high velocity caused by thunder storm, snow fall, hailstorms, etc. The study investigate the improvements in the structural behaviour of the RC beams retrofitted with various types of FRP such as glass fibres, coir fibres, banana fibres, jute fibres and cotton fibres. The experimental programme includes strengthening and flexural strength test of 18 simply supported RC beams of 500x100x100 mm. The test results showed an increase in ultimate load for the retrofitted beam when compared to normal control beam and corresponding increase in the value of modulus of rupture. The retrofitted beams with glass fibre using epoxy as binder having 47.32% more strength than the control beams. Area under load-deflection curve gives toughness. Toughness value is found to be more in RC beams retrofitted with banana fibre.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of athletic identity as a predictor of mental toughness in male and female athletes. Method: Eighty six female (Mage=25.33±4.35) and 105 male (Mage=24.66±3.66), totally 191 athletes (Mage=24.96±3.99) voluntarily participated in this study. The Athletic Identity Questionnaire (AIQ) and The Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire were administered to all participants. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. Results: Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis revealed that competence and encouragement by friends (R=0.51; R2=0.26; p<.05) subscales of athletic identity were significant predictors of mental toughness of athletes. Analysis also indicated that importance and appearance (R=0.51; R2=0.26; p<.05) subscales of athletic identity were predictor of mental toughness of female athletes. Beside this, competence and encouragement by friends (R=0.54; R2=0.29; p<.01) subscales of athletic identity were predictor of mental toughness of male athletes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that, female and male athletes’ athletic identities plays a significant role in their mental toughness. In other words, spending effort for being a team, increasing the quality of training and physical appearance is important for female athletes to overcome challenges. On the other hand, male athletes give more attention to motor capacity, athletic competence and friends’ encouragement to get over the difficulties.

Membangun Mental Juara
29 August 2017 Universitas Pembangunan Jaya
Bangsa Indonesia mendapatkan kabar gembira dari Kejuaraan Dunia Bulutangkis 2017. Tontowi Ahmad dan Lililyana Natsir kembali mempersembahkan emas bagi ibu pertiwi. Dalam wawancara dengan BBC Indonesia (2017), keberhasilan mereka adalah karena komunikasi yang baik dan pengalaman sehingga mereka berdua mampu bermain tenang dan penuh percaya diri.

Atlet adalah mereka yang mengikuti perlombaan atau pertandingan kekuatan dan/atau ketangkasan. Tugas utama atlet seperti Tontowi Ahmad dan Liliyana Natsir adalah bertanding dan bertanding – di mana performa atlet merupakan hasil dari stamina, kekuatan, fleksibilitas, koordinasi, keterampilan dan kemampuan bermain.
Permainan badminton efektif dikembangkan di usia 11-12 tahun sehingga diharapkan mencapai puncak pada usia 20-25 tahun. Yang menjadi tantangan adalah pada usia 11-12 tahun tersebut terjadi perubahan biologis, kognitif dan sosioemosional dalam upaya menemukan siapa jati diri mereka yang sebenarnya dan arah mereka dalam menjalani hidup.
Terdapat sederet karakteristik atlet yang sukses mengelola stres. Karakteristik tersebut antara lain mampu melepaskan stres melalui kegiatan fisik, mampu rileks tanpa tergantung pada perintah pelatih, mampu melakukan kegiatan yang nyaman dan menenangkan bagi dirinya, mampu menguasai teknik dan strategi pertandingan, mampu mengembangkan strategi mental, mampu membangun kepercayaan tinggi dan mampu memberikan makna yang proporsional terhadap kekalahan. Di sisi lain, seringkali atlet di usia remaja mengalami kesulitan mengelola emosi, sebagian akibat faktor kematangan usia.
Menurut pengamatan tim pengajar psikologi UPJ dalam memberikan layanan konseling bagi atlet bulu tangkis asuhan Klub Jaya Raya, Bintaro, ekspresi atlet belia saat kalah dalam bertanding antara lain: tidak percaya, sedih, minder, kecewa, malu, dongkol, frustrasi, merasa seperti pecundang, stres, takut, merasa gagal, tidak bisa tidur, tidak nafsu makan, ingin menyendiri sampai ingin menyerah. Ketika menang, mereka merasa bersyukur, senang, bahagia, lebih percaya diri, tidak boleh sombong, tidak boleh cepat puas, ingin menang lagi dalam pertandingan berikutnya, mencoba strategi baru, terus berusaha harus lebih baik lagi.
Dari ungkapan ekspresi yang merentang sangat lebar ini, dapat dibayangkan bahwa di setiap pertandingan, seorang atlet berjudi dengan nasib. Dirinya menghadapi kemungkinan bahwa di akhir pertandingan nanti, dirinya akan merasa sangat bahagia, atau sebaliknya merasa gagal seperti pecundang.

Di sinilah pentingnya psikologi olahraga. Psikologi olahraga adalah cabang ilmu psikologi yang bertujuan mengidentifikasi faktor psikologis yang mempengaruhi partisipasi dan performa individu di bidang olahraga serta intervensi yang dapat meningkatkan prestasi dan perkembangan pribadi (personal growth).
Dalam bidang olahraga, psikologi olahraga memberi kontribusi dalam memahami atlet, antara lain tetapi tak terbatas pada identifikasi disposisi psikologis atlet elit seperti pengambilan risiko (risk–taking), sikap kompetitif (competitiveness), kepercayaan diri (self confidence), harapan untuk berhasil (expectation for success), ketangguhan mental (mental toughness) dan kemampuan meregulasi stres (ability to regulate stress) . Dengan kata lain, psikologi olahraga mempelajari bagaimana individu yang terjun di bidang olahraga tumbuh, menjadi lebih kuat dan lebih tangguh secara fisik, mental dan emosional.
Atlet seperti Tontowi dan Liliyana berhasil karena memiliki mental juara. Di masa depan, Indonesia perlu untuk terus mengembangkan psikologi olahraga agar dapat mendorong para atlet terus berprestasi.
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Tim Penulis
Gita Widya Laksmini Soerjoatmodjo, Clara Moningka dan Yulius Fransisco Angkawijaya
Staf Pengajar Program Studi Psikologi Universitas Pembangunan Jaya
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Referensi
Anshel, M.H. (2003) Sport Psychology: From Theory to Practice 4th Edition San Fransisco: Pearson Education.
BBC Indonesia (2017) Tontowi/Liliyana meraih emas di Kejuaraan Dunia Bulutangkis. 28 Agustus. Diakses
dari http://www.bbc.com/indonesia/olahraga-41069298
Loehr, J.E. (1995) The New Toughness Training for Sports: Mental, Emotional, and Physical
Conditioning from One of the World’s Premier Sports Psychologists New York: Penguin Group.
Mardiana, K. D. & Marwan, I. (2015) Pengaruh Latihan Menggunakan Raket Berbeban pada
Keterampilan Smash Permainan Bulutangkis: Eksperimen pada Siswa Ekstrakurikuler Bulutangkis SMK Al-Hasanaha Kecamatan Gunung Tanjung Kabupaten Tasikmalaya.
Putri, D. (2013) Managing Anxiety pada Atlet Taruna Jaya Raya: Skripsi Program Studi Psikologi
Universitas Pembangunan Jaya.
Soerjoatmodjo, G.W.L., Moningka, C., Angkawijaya, Y.F. (2017) Layanan Konseling bagi Atlet Jaya Raya Laporan
Interim Hibah Pengabdian Masyarakat Ipteks Bagi Masyarakat Tangerang Selatan: Universitas
Pembangunan Jaya
Widiani, H. (2011). Sumber stres dan strategi coping pada pelajar atlet bulu tangkis. Skripsi Fakultas Psikologi
Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta.
Williams, J.M. & Straub, W.F. (2010) Sport psychology: Past, present, future dalam Williams, J.M. Applied sport
psychology: personal growth to peak performance New York: McGraw-Hill.

Bu çalışmada, Ergenler İçin Zihinsel Dayanıklılık Ölçeğinin (EİZDÖ) Türkçe uzun ve kısa formunun psikometrik özellikleri incelenmiştir. Araştırmada, 11-18 yaş ortaokul ve lise öğrencilerinin yer aldığı iki ayrı örneklem grubundan (N1 = 357, % 54.6 erkek, Ortyaş = 14.92, ssyaş = 2.09; N2 = 307, % 52.4 erkek, Ortyaş = 14.97, ssyaş = 1.55) veri toplanmıştır. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonuçları, EİZDÖ’nin 18 maddeli altı faktörlü orijinal yapısı ile 6 maddeli tek faktörlü kısa formunun hedef örneklemde doğrulandığını göstermiştir. Araştırmada, EİZDÖ uzun ve kısa formu ile Çocuk ve Genç Psikolojik Sağlamlık Ölçeği (ÇGPSÖ-12) toplam puanları arasında anlamlı korelasyonlar saptanmıştır. EİZDÖ’nin uzun ve kısa formuna ait Cronbach alfa katsayıları sırasıyla .85 ve .72 olarak hesaplanmıştır. Çapraz geçerlik ve güvenirlik bulguları, EİZDÖ’nin kısa formunun psikometrik özelliklerini desteklemiştir. Çoklu grup doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonuçlarına göre, EİZDÖ’nin kısa formunun ergenliğin gelişim aşamalarına ve cinsiyete göre yapısal ve metrik açıdan değişmez olduğu belirlenmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları, EİZDÖ’nin uzun ve kısa formunun gelecek çalışmalarda eğitim ortamlarında 11-18 yaş ergenlerin zihinsel dayanıklılık düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesinde geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçme aracı olarak kullanılabileceğini göstermiştir. Araştırma bulguları tartışılmış, sınırlılıklar ve öneriler sunulmuştur.