| The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of four factors on mental toughness in collegiate athletes: sport type, psychological intervention use, competitive experience and competition level. 235 Arkansas State University athletes from a variety of sports, competition levels, and years of competitive experience participated in the study. Each participant completed a demographic questionnaire about their sporting background and use of psychological interventions, followed by the MTQ48 to measure mental toughness. The MANOVA found athletes who competed at the highest competition level, had significantly greater mental toughness scores overall and on every subscale of mental toughness. There was a significant main effect of psychological intervention use on emotional control scores of mental toughness. The findings from this study have practical implications for athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists by implying that tailoring interventions specific to each athlete, their competitive history, and psychological needs could be beneficial to performance. |
