Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new measure of mental toughness in sport. The role of mental toughness in sport has been characterized as key in assisting athletes to obtain success by optimizing practice, overcome failures, and develop the mental skills necessary to win (Norris, 1999). A literature review concluded with six concepts (hardiness, coping, self-efficacy, mindset, resilience, and optimism) being used to develop an 80-item instrument measuring mental toughness on a 5-point Likert scale (always-never). Athletes (N=359, 195 males, 164 females, mean age = 17.57, SD = 3.4) drawn from a variety of sports were administered the Inventory of Mental Toughness Factors in Sport (IMTF-S) during the spring of 2011. Item analysis and principal component analysis yielded a four-factor 48-item model with an overall reliability (Cronbach's alpha) score of .925. The mental toughness factors and corresponding reliability scores were labeled as follows: Identification (.933), Negation (.812), Determination (.765), and Motivation (.890). Test-retest reliability measures were also obtained on a sample of 25 athletes (r= .892). Concurrent validity was demonstrated (r= .798, p ≤ .001) by comparing a set of scores (N= 75) on the IMTF-S and the Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI; Loehr, 1986). Predictive validity was assessed by comparing means of three sample's scores with ratings of their respective coaches. One independent samples t-test on a high school boys lacrosse team (N=18) indicated that the IMTF-S may have predictive properties (p= .021), however two other samples (women's elite field hockey, N=19) and junior A ice hockey (N=24) revealed non-significant findings when coaches ratings were compared to athlete self-assessment. Finally, correlation analysis found no significant relationships between mental toughness and age or experience. The results of this study provide empirical evidence for the valid use of the IMTF-S in measuring mental toughness in athletes. Perhaps of greater importance is that this study bolsters the existing research on mental toughness and further promotes its identification and development in assisting athletes in overcoming high-pressured and adverse conditions in their sporting environments. / 2031-01-01

Mental toughness has become a focus for researchers as coaches, athletes, and others extol its influence in performance success. In this study I examined mental toughness among collegiate athletes, focusing on its potential relationship to different demographic variables and to the athletes’ mood. Two hundred seventy-two student-athletes representing 12 different sports from a southwestern NCAA Division I university, participated by completing the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), the Brief Assessment of Mood (BAM), and providing demographic information. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) assessed differences in mental toughness scores by sex, race, scholarship status, and starting status. Significant differences in mental toughness emerged between Black – White, male – female, and full – partial – zero scholarship athletes. Pearson correlations showed mental toughness was significantly related to lower levels of anxiety, sadness, anger, confusion, fatigue, and total mood disturbance, and higher levels of vigor.

The current economic climate has placed a tremendous amount of pressure on businesses and their staff to perform and as a consequence the number of lost workdays associated with work place stress is becoming a significant burden upon the UK economy. In order to improve and reduce the cost burden of lost workdays many businesses, and more specifically their leadership teams, have now started to look at non-business related environments in their search for success and ways in which to combat workplace stress. On such environment that business leaders have shown a growing interest in is that of sport and in particular the development and utilisation of mental toughness in order to achieve and sustain high performance. As a result there is a growing, if not an insatiable, desire to create mentally tough business professionals. However even though there are numerous books describing mental toughness to date no one has determine whether its ‘stress coping’ capability will actually benefit business professionals and whether the [sporting] definitions and frameworks are really appropriate for use in a business context. Existing examinations of sporting mental toughness have successfully adopted a qualitative approach in order to examine mental toughness. Similarly this research thesis adopted a qualitative approach using both Personal Construct Psychology and Appreciative Inquiry in order to capture business professional’s individual views, experiences, meanings, and perceptions of theirs or other people’s responses to events and situations in order to describe and characterise business mental toughness. Twelve business professionals participated in the study from which a definition of business mental toughness was developed and the attributes of the ideal mentally tough business person documented. The findings suggest that business mental toughness does exist but is different to that observed in sport and draws on our own values, beliefs, motivations and emotional intelligence and a set of coping mechanisms that enable business professional to cope with the stress and pressure of the work environment whilst maintaining emotional control and delivering on their objectives. This thesis provides the basis for further empirical research into business mental toughness, as well as providing guidance as to some of the conceptual and practical implications for the use of mental toughness techniques within a business environment. Given that £25.9 billion is lost due to work place stress in the UK alone, there is sufficient demand and reason to further the research into the stress coping capabilities of mental toughness and ensure that the correct type of mental toughness is developed within business.

Military personnel are required to perform effectively in extreme enviroments. Optimal performance in combat enviroments is a complex process and its neural basis is poorly understood. Understanding the factors that influence how an individual is able to perform to a high standard and cope with the demands of the situation while under extreme operational stress is vital. As stressful events can have a lasting impact on soldiers and while for some deployment can lead to positive change for others it can increase the risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To better understand how soldiers are able to perform effectively, in the first study of the thesis we developed a psychometrically robust measure of mental robustness that was informant rated and relevant to combat operations. The measure assesses a soldier’s ability to make decisions under pressure and their ability to function effectively when faced with emotional challenging situations as two separate dimensions. A second study confirmed the factor structure of the measure and also provided initial evidence for its construct validity. The measure underpinned our final study (Study 3) which combined psychometric measures, behavioural and functional imaging to produce a deeper understanding of the relationship between activity in key brain regions and key components of robustness. Study 3 assessed soldier’s ability to make decisions under pressure when presented with combat relevant stimulus. The study employed two tasks; Task 1 required individuals to attend to emotional aspects of the stimuli as they would do in during combat and Task 2 required soldiers to attend to the non-emotional aspects of the stimuli. Our findings suggest that robustness acts as a resistance resource and although it does not protect against PTSS it does allow a curvilinear relationship between PTSS and performance. The ultimate goal of this thesis is to better understand the critical factors required for optimal military performance during deployment. This will allow more targeted training that will help highly motivated individuals achieve excellence.

The construct of mental toughness is in a state of evolution and refinement. The current study proposed to investigate; (1) the importance of mental toughness attributes from a Classical Martial Arts context, (2) the trainability of the mental toughness attributes from a Classical Martial Arts context, (3) and the extent to which classical martial artists perceive that attributes converge under broader, overarching sub-categories. The current study used a two-phase approach to evaluate the perceptions of mental toughness in 174 non-competition based classical martial artists. Phase One used a survey (a) to assess the perceived importance and trainability of mental toughness, (b) to evaluate unique CMA (CMA) mental toughness components, and (c) to determine underlying factors via factor analysis. Phase Two used interviews to enhance study perspectives of 20 randomly selected CMA participants. Phase One survey results support (a) the inclusion of all items as important to the mental toughness construct, (b) the trainability of all but 4 items, and (c) anticipation, learning attitude, and ethics as three unique CMA mental toughness components. The factor analysis supports the use of a six-factor model, which accounts for 60% of the variance, to explain CMA toughness. Phase Two promotes the use of several key themes as important to mental toughness in the CMA¬- conviction, commitment, conditioning, readiness to perform, distraction control, and shifting focus of attention. Phase Two also provides insight into the context specific application of the six-factor model. Previous perspectives on attribute importance, trainability, and general dimensions of mental toughness are supported by the current study. Variations exist between dimensions in the current study and those found previously. However, these differences are noted to exist more in context applications than in the essential meanings. / Ph. D.

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This study investigated the validity of scores of a workplace-based measure of mental toughness, the Mental Toughness Situational Judgment Test (MTSJT). The goal of the study was to determine if MTSJT scores predicted supervisor ratings 1) differentially compared to other measures of mental toughness, grit, and resilience, and 2) incrementally beyond cognitive ability and conscientiousness. Further, two machine learning algorithms – elastic nets and random forests – were used to model predictions at both the item and scale level. MTJST scores provided the most accurate predictions overall when model at the item level via a random forest approach. The MTSJT was the only measure to consistently provide incremental validity when predicting supervisor ratings. The results further emphasize the growing importance of both mental toughness and machine learning algorithms to industrial/organizational psychologists. / Doctor of Philosophy / The study investigated whether the Mental Toughness Situational Judgment Test (MTSJT)– a measure of mental toughness directly in the workplace, could predict employees' supervisor ratings. Further, the study aimed to understand if the MTSJT was a better predictor than other measures of mental toughness, grit, resilience, intelligence, and conscientiousness. The study used machine learning algorithms to generate predictive models using both question-level scores and scale-level scores. The results suggested that the MTSJT scores predicted supervisor ratings at both the question and scale level using a random forest model. Further, the MTJST was a better predictor than most other measures included in the study. The results emphasize the growing importance of both mental toughness and machine learning algorithms to industrial/organizational psychologists.

Mental toughness (MT) has been shown to predict outcomes across a variety of high-stress contexts such as athletics, the military, and the workplace. Despite this, researchers have struggled to reach consensus regarding how best to conceptualize and measure MT. Specifically, MT assessments have focused on measuring general MT rather than domain-specific MT. The current study proposes a measurement model of MT grounded in social-cognitive theory and introduced an assessment of MT within a situational judgment test framework to assess MT in the workplace. Participants completed a battery consisting of the new measure as well as measures intended to establish construct validity. Factor analyses suggested a three-factor solution fit the data best. Furthermore, cross-structure analyses indicated that the new assessment avoided common-method bias in responding, as evident by weak correlations with measures of other constructs. / Master of Science / Mental toughness (MT) has been shown to be a resource that buffers against the negative effects of distress and predicts outcomes across a variety of settings, including the workplace. However, widely used self-report MT questionnaires have numerous issues, such as a lack of context. The current study addressed a number of these issues by creating a measure of MT wherein respondents were given a workplace situation and asked the likelihood that they would respond in a variety of manners, thereby assessing MT as relevant to the workplace context. Three factors of MT were most prominent – task persistence, emotional control, and utilization of feedback. The measure introduced in the current study had small associations with existing self-report measures of MT, personality, and distress, suggesting that the new method of measuring MT avoided some issues inherent to self-report responding. This research laid promising groundwork for the future assessment of MT in the workplace.

Intense training for prolonged periods of time without adequate recovery can result in psychological problems and increased susceptibility to illness and injury in collegiate athletes. The Cognitive-Affective Model of Athletic Burnout (Smith, 1986), a framework for understanding the relationships among stressors, identifies cognitive appraisal as the mediating factor between negative or positive health outcomes, and therefore could be a target of interventions to reduce overtraining, burnout, injury, and illness. Mental toughness, the ability to perform at one’s best regardless of the circumstances, is a modifiable psychological construct that may influence cognitive appraisal. Altering an athlete’s interpretation of stressful situations through mental toughness training could change how the athlete evaluates his/her ability to handle the stressors of training and competition, and may attenuate negative psychological outcomes associated with increased illness and injury risk. The purpose of this study was to establish cross-sectional relationships among mental toughness and psychological and physical variables, implement an online Mental Toughness Training Program, and evaluate the impact of the training on changes in mental toughness, mood disturbances, athlete burnout, coping ability, depression, physical symptoms, and perceived stress before, during, and after the intervention program. Female student athletes from a private Division III institution on the varsity Field Hockey (N=19) and Soccer (N=28) teams participated in this study. All participants (N=47) provided cross-sectional data demonstrating that mental toughness was significantly correlated with total mood disturbance (ρ=-0.51, p≤.01), depression (ρ=-0.49, p≤.01), perceived stress (ρ=-0.53, p≤.01), and athlete burnout (ρ=-.46, p≤.01). Thirty-seven athletes (N= 16 Field Hockey, N=21 Soccer) were randomly assigned by team to the six-week Mental Toughness Training Program, involving psychological skills training, or control condition, and had longitudinal data available for analysis. Mental toughness levels were significantly increased in the intervention group from pre- to post-training. The training led to significant attenuations in levels of athlete burnout, depression, physical symptoms, and perceived stress. These findings show that mental toughness is associated with psychological variables, and mental toughness training had a positive impact on variables that have been associated with increased risk of injury in collegiate athletes.

Participants were 20 (14 females and 6 males) first-time marathon runners registered for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in Chicago, IL on October 7th, 2013. Participants were recruited for the purpose of exploring the effects of a 4-week individualized imagery training program on mental toughness and flow and asked to complete a demographics survey, the Movement Imagery Questionnaire (MIQ), the Sport Imagery Questionnaire (SIQ), Short Flow States Scale-2 (Short FSS-2), Sport Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ), and a Pre-Imagery Training Interview and then be divided into an experimental and control group (prior to running the marathon). Participants in the experimental group received a modified copy of a Chicago marathon training video and a tailored 10-15 minute imagery training session while participants in the control group received only the Chicago marathon training video. Next, participants ran in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon and, after the race, met with the researcher to complete the SIQ, Short FSS-2, SMTQ, and a post-imagery interview. Several themes emerged concerning the runners' understanding of the marathon course, race concerns, race goals, and race strategies at pretest as well as both positive and negative experiences during the marathon and their methods for coping and using the imagery during the marathon (reported at posttest). The experimental group had a moderate positive correlation between the imagery subscales of cognitive general (CG) and motivational-general mastery (MG-M) and mental toughness (MT) (r(6) = .761 and r(6)= .685, p < .05 respectively). There was a moderate positive correlation between the imagery subscales of CG and MG-M and flow (r(6) = .719 and r(6) = .783, p < .05 respectively). This would indicate that individuals high in using imagery as a means to goal set as well as master the course tended to have high flow scores. Cognitive specific (CS), motivational specific (MS), and motivational-general arousal (MG-A) had a small, non-significant correlation with MT (r(6) = .492, r(6) = .321, r(6) = .341, p < .05) and a moderate relationship with flow (r(6) = .522, r(6) = .593, r(6) = .529, p < .05). There is a high positive relationship between flow and MT (r(6) = .906, p < .05), indicating that individuals who experienced high levels of flow also experienced high levels of MT. Control group participants had a moderate inverse relationship between CG and MT (r(4) = -.659, p < .05) and moderate positive relationships between CG, MS, and MG-A and flow (r(4) = .662, r(4) = .710, and r(4) = .552, p < .05 respectively) within control participants. For the control participants, flow and MT were not found to have a significant relationship (r(4) = .310, p < .05); these results are consistent with the control participants' imagery, flow, and MT scores suggesting that flow did not have any effect on MT. Overall, the tailored imagery script training was found to be helpful for both flow and mental toughness. Recommendations for future research should focus on developing a 6-week psychological skills training program for first time marathon runners and developing research that focuses on periodizing imagery to coincide with runners' marathon training programs. / Kinesiology