Thesis Finals

UNIVERSIDAD DE MANILA
One Mehan Gardens

Manila, Philippines 1000
College of Human Kinetics
Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports
Presented to:
The Faculty of the College of Human Kinetics
Universidad De Manila
In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Subject
Research I
By: PE 33 Group VI
Apolinario, Raymond E.
Arguelles, Julie C.
Baguio, Ronnel R.
Domingo, Kathlene Mae D.
Ledres, Shane C.
Linezo, Mary Anne V.
Mutuc, Flor Anne A.
Sagadraca, Sean John M.
2017
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Chapter I
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
Introduction
The cornerstone of the Mental Toughness is the Emotional Intelligence, athlete
cannot be mentally tough without the ability to fully understand and tolerate strong
negative emotion and do something productive. Mental toughness is the ability to
consistently sustain one’s ideal performance state during advertises in competition it is
a collection of values, attitude, emotion and cognitions and also refers to the measure of
individual strength and confidence that may know the success in sport, education and
the workplace. As a broad concept, it emerged in the context of sports training, in the
context of a set of attributes that allow a person to become a better athlete and able to
cope difficult training and difficult competitive situations and emerge without
losing confidence. In recent decades, the term has been commonly used by
coaches, sport psychologists, sports commentators, and business leaders.
The used of Mental Toughness frequency is to colloquially to refer to any set of
positive attributes that helps a person to cope with difficult situations. Coaches and
sport commentators freely use the term mental toughness to describe the mental state
of athletes who persevere through difficult sport circumstances to succeed. For
example, it is often simply applied as a default explanation for any victory, which is
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highly problematic as an attribution. Criticisms about the use of this imprecise approach
abound. The hardiness has also apart and similar construct to mental toughness.
Hardiness has typically been constructed as a personality trait, which is generally seen
as stable throughout the lifetime. This differs from the conceptions of mental toughness
offered by both Jones et al. and Gucciardi et al (2011). These authors both conceive of
mental toughness as unstable, arising in development, fluctuating over time, and
varying for an individual performer between different sport and life scenarios. This
definitional dilemma plagues the use of the term mental toughness and if mental
toughness exists as a valid construct it may on occasion be maladaptive. Evidence to
support this contention is derived from a study of overtraining behaviors and mental
toughness by Tibbert (2013).
Contact sports are sports that emphasize or require physical contact between
players. Some sports, such as mixed martial arts, are scored on impacting an opponent,
while others, including rugby football, require tackling of players. These sports are often
known as full-contact, as the sport cannot be undertaken without contact. Other sports
have contact, but such events are illegal under the rules of the game or are accidental
and do not form part of the sport. Contact sport is any sport for which significant
physical impact force on players, either deliberate or incidental, is allowed or within the
rules of the game. Contact actions include tackling, blocking and a whole range of other
moves that can differ substantially in their rules and degree of application. Examples of
contact sports are Full contact martial arts include wrestling, sumo, boxing, mixed
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martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, judo, various forms of full contact karate, and
some forms of Taekwondo.
Evolving in a highly competitive environment where maximal performance is all
that matter, elite athletes are required to allocate training time to an intensity that mimics
the sport-specific characteristics they experience during competition. Due to the
demands of training and competition, athletes experience a constant cycle of “fatigue-
recovery-adaptation”. Performance is enhanced by training stimulus only if adaptive
processes are greater than the induced fatigue, and as such, the monitoring of fatigue is
important to determine appropriate training loads to maximize subsequent performance.
Historically, fatigue has been defined in accordance with the varied sub disciplines
associated with sports science, namely the divisions of physiology, psychology and
biomechanics. At one extreme, Physiologists may consider fatigue as failure or
dysfunction of a particular physiological system while at the other extreme, psychologist
may view fatigue as an uncomfortable perception or sensation.
Theoretical Framework
There are some research works documenting the effect of mental toughness on
athletic performance. Feltz (2011) a well-known researcher in sports psychology studied
how and when mental toughness best improves performance.
There are two possible explanations behind why mental toughness works: The
first is known as the symbolic learning theory; the second is the psycho neuromuscular
theory.
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Symbolic Learning Theory- Imagery may be part of a coding system that
actually helps athletes understand movement. The theory says that every move we
make in life is first coded like a blue print in our minds and in our nervous systems, so
that if we mentally rehearse an athletic event, we are actually blueprinting each move,
making the gestures symbolic and more familiar to our body chemistry. By doing a lot of
mental toughness, we are setting the stage for movement to become quite automatic.
Psycho Neuromuscular- Mental toughness works because even when we
stand quietly inside or outside of the field, we are actually producing very small muscle
contraction similar to those involved in our particular sport. This theory has been tested
quite frequently by simply having athletes mentally rehearse images.
These theories of Dr. Debra Feltz show that mental practice can help athletes
improve their skills and that they can perform better if they can imagine themselves
doing the skills. The theories focus on self-activity, learning by doing- rehearsing,
practicing, moving, which amounts to saying that the more you rehearse, practice or
move, the better and your mental toughness. In here is shown that individuals would
differ in their level or degree of toughness, depending on their own motive, goal,
initiative to move, practice or rehearse to develop their mental skills. according to Butler
(1996), included that imagery in cognitive restructuring is important component of
cognitive-behavioral intervention, it permits athletes to develop an ability to perform an
image of a “cognitive map” in the athletic having a different interpretation of the
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activation states that they are experiencing. It can be beneficial for de-emphasizing the
value of competition that will push the athlete abilities into maximum performance.
Furthermore, butler (cited in Humara, 2000) suggested a mnemonic device called
pressure because athletes have a difficult time coping on competition. The word is
broken down as follows: prepare- to prevent over arousal which would result in
demands upon them: externalize involves the belief that their there are too many
demands put upon them.
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework is represented by the input-process-output system
which describe the different activities in the conduct of the investigation. The input-
process-output (IPO) system model consisted of three phases
The Input consists of the profile of the respondents and the sub-problems of the
study.
The Process indicates the research design, research instruments, respondents
and the statistical treatment to be used in the conducting the study.
The Output shows the possible outcomes of the study.
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Paradigm of the Study
Input PROCESS Output
1. The profile of the 1. Profile between

1.Research Design:
respondent in terms
of. 1.1 Descriptive 1.1 Male and;
Research 1.2 Female
1.1 Name;
1.2 Descriptive 2. Based on profile,
1.2 Age;
Correlation
1.3 Gender; how do the athletes
2. Instrument
1.4 Sport(s) in selected University
2.1 Survey
2. Based on profile, Questionnaire perceive the study in
how do the
3. Respondents: terms of:
respondents perceive
the study in terms of: 3.1 Selected athletes
in Judo and 2.1. Very Disagree
2.1. Cognitive
Taekwondo in
selected Universities 2.2. Disagree
2.2. Relationship
in Manila. 2.3. Neutral
2.3. Self-Confidence
4. Statistical 2.4. Agree
2.4. Encouragement Treatment:
and; 2.5. Strongly Agree
4.1 Frequency
2.5. Organization Counts Percentage 3. Significance of the
relationship between
3. Is there a 4.2 Weight mental toughness
significant Arithmetic and performance of
relationship between athletes in contact
mental toughness and
4. Z-Test sports.
performance of
athletes in contact
sports respondents?
Figure 1
A Research Paradigm in Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes in
Contacts Sports.
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Statement of the Problem
The purpose of the study is to know the Mental Toughness and Performance
of Athletes in Contact Sports.
This study sought answer to the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
` 1.1. Age;
1.2. Gender;
1.3. Sport(s); and
1.3. Length of Year in Playing
2. Based on profile, how do the athletes in selected University perceive the study in
terms of:
2.1. Relationship;
2.2. Self- Confidence;
2.3. Cognitive and;
2.4. Encouragement and;
2.5. Organization
3. Is there a significant relationship between Mental Toughness and Mental Toughness
and Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports.
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Hypothesis
HO1: There is no significant relationship on the Mental Toughness and Performance of
Athletes in Contact Sports
Scope and Limitation of the Study:
This study focused on Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes in
Contact Sports. The Mental Toughness and Performance are divided into 5 sub-scales
as follows: Cognitive, Relationship, Self- Confidence, Encouragement, Organization.
this 5 sub-scales will measure the performance of the athletes. The respondents are
Athletes in Judo and Taekwondo. This study will try to identify the Mental Toughness
and Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports in Judo and Taekwondo in Selected
Private Colleges and Universities in Manila. The participant schools in this study are the
following:
A. National University
B. University of the East
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SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The researchers believe that these study is significant to the following:
To the athletes:
The outcome of this study well to develop help the athletes on how they will
improve their knowledge about the sports specialization and they will strengthen their
mental and physical discipline that will help them to promote values such as honesty,
courtesy, loyalty and cooperation and to be able to know the importance of mental
toughness and performance of athletes.
To the Coaches:
The result of the study will guide coaches on how to mold a person to become
professional and expert in different sports and develop mentally tough players or
athletes.
In the field of research:
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It is hope that this preliminary study will encourage future researchers to do
similar researches in Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes and they will
conduct their own study about the research and may help them to understand the
relationship of mental toughness and performance of athletes in different field of sports.
To the administrators:
We hope that even the administrators may appreciate this study to be help to the
other player or athletes to be able to organized the training program for each. And we
hope this topic will be use by the present and the future researches to be conduct and
to formulate.
To the sports people:
It will help the athletes to more encourage about what the study made of and I
hope this study will be the guide of the sports people to improve their skills and
confident with the use of our study.
Future Researcher
The results of the study will serve as reference for the future researchers and will
help them to gathering more ideas that guide them to do their own research in of our
study that we build we also want to give them the easiest way of doing research about
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the relationship of mental toughness and performance of athletes. They can also do a
research covering other variables.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
For the purpose of the study, the following terms are conceptual and operational
defined:
Accurateness-It refers to the correctness of the movement and able to produce results
that are correct or not making mistake.
Approaches -It refers to the way the coaches approach their players and it refers to the
strategies by the coaches in training their players
Athletes- It refers to the student players involve in judo or taekwondo in different
Private Universities/Colleges.
Behaviour- It refers to the athletes behave or act towards the approaches of their
coaches.
Coaches- It refers to the Traninor or person who train or teaches the athletes in playing
judo and taekwondo.
Commitment- It refers to the responsibility that you need to have when you give work
that are very important.
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Cooperation- It refers to the kind of interaction to other and also in self- confident of an
individual.
Discipline- It refers to the virtue of person that are very sensitive in every act and the
beliefs of individuals.
Skill- It refers to the ability of the athletes in performing various techniques capacity
acquired through deliberate systematic and sustain in their sports.
Strategies- It refers to the method or different ways of bringing achievement outcome
Taekwondo-It refers to the style of fighting that uses kicks and punches without
weapons.
Training –It refers to the program of making skillful producing athletes physical exercise
that you do regularly in order to stay fit or to prepare for an activity.
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Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
This research study cited books, articles, and research which are relevant to the
present investigation. It is composed of related literature and studies, both local and
foreign, which contain facts and information on the research problem at hand. It also
provides explanations and logical connections between previous researches and the
present work.
Local Study
Dalena (2011) studied the mental skills of the varsity athletes of different private
colleges and universities. their correlation to athletic performance. the researcher used
to descriptive survey research method that attempted to statistically describe the mental
skills of athletes with regard to seven variables; self-confidence, negative and positive
control, attention control, visual and imagery control, motivational level and attitude
control, the whole population of thirty-two the varsity athletes where involved, utilizing
the psychological performance inventory by leohr.
Loehr (1986) popularized the term "mental toughness' to describe the ability to
perform ideally and maintain consistency during the heat of competition. It describes
athletes' mental strengths and weaknesses relative to the seven (7) subscales of mental
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toughness, these are: self-confidence as the belief that one can perform well and be
successful; negative energy control means to cope-up with negative emotions such as
fear, anger, frustration and temper for achieving success; attention control refers being
focused to perform well; visualization and imagery control relates to create a positive
mental-images; motivational level speak of the athlete’s energy and willingness to
persevere; positive energy control denotes that an athlete is energized with fun, joy and
satisfaction; and attitude control imply the habits of thought and unyielding.
The Current study investigated the level of mental toughness of scholar athletes
of selected Private Colleges and Universities in Metro Manila, Philippines as a key
factor for optimal sports performance, as well as looking at its significant difference
when athletes were grouped according to their gender and type of sport
(individual/team). Data were collected through the Psychological Performance Inventory
(PPI). The collected data were computed and analyzed using descriptive statistics and
z-test. A total of 36 athletes in different two (2) Colleges and Universities took part in
this research where among the participants male and female respondents were
dominative and mostly are team athletes. The findings also revealed that scholar
athletes' level of mental toughness to have 'room for improvement' on self-confidence,
visual and imagery control, motivation level, positive energy and attitude control while
'needs special attention' on negative energy and attention control. When grouped
according to gender, the data uncovered a significant difference on some attributes of
mental toughness (self-confidence, visual and imagery control, motivation level and
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positive energy); conversely, when data were grouped according to type of sport
(individual/team), athletes' level of mental toughness were reported to have no
significant difference. In conclusion, coaches need to address athletes' low level of
mental toughness since it is now being recognized that physical talent is not the only
component which leads to athletic success (Gucciardi, Gordon & Dimmock, 2008) but
also attributed to athletes' psychological skills (Creasy, 2005; Williams & Krane, 2001).
Hence, the inclusion of a Psychological Skills Training (PST) program as an essential
part of athletes' regular training is recommended. Keywords: Mental Toughness; Scholar
Athletes, Psychological Performance Inventory, Psychological Skills Training Program.
Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports
Early research on mental toughness indicated that 82% of wrestling coaches
identified mental toughness as the most important prerequisite to competitive
success. In support of this research, athletes, media personnel, and coaches regularly
characterize successful performers as being mentally tough. While the term mental
toughness is frequently used colloquially to describe athletic success, empirical support
for the relationship between mental toughness and performance success has not been
fully established. Given the pointed focus of this study on the relationship between
mental toughness and performance, a full review of mental toughness literature is
beyond the scope of this article. However, relevant conceptual discussion and
measurement issues will be addressed. Among the issues in forming a solid construct
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are theoretical basis, definition and conceptualization, and measurement. A social-
cognitive theoretical approach has been suggested when investigating the topic of
mental toughness given the social and cognitive processes involved in achieving mental
toughness. Scholars have conceptualized mental toughness in a variety of ways and, in
general, the definitions lack consistency. A focused and precise definition of mental
toughness has been a topic of much debate among researchers. Jones et al. defined
mental toughness as a psychological quality that helps in coping with sport pressures
and allows athletes to be consistently resolute in demonstrating psychological skills
such as focus, motivation, confidence, and control. Middleton et al. interviewed athletes
from a variety of sports and proposed that mental toughness is strong determination in
the face of adversity. Clough et al. used four C's to describe mental toughness. They
have suggested that challenge, commitment, control, and confidence are central to
mental toughness. While variability among the definitions exists, mental toughness
appears to relate to the skillful demonstration of a collection of psychological skills.
Bull et al. have suggested that the characteristics of mental toughness in a global
sense might be distinct from how it is understood in a particular sport. Similarly, it is
possible that the constituents of mental toughness differ in particular sports. For
instance, mental toughness in rugby may be distinct from mental toughness in
swimming. Both Bull et al. and the well et al. in studying mental toughness in cricket and
soccer respectively, found that the sport-specific definitions proposed by coaches and
athletes were in line with the global definition of mental toughness created by Jones and
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colleagues. Gucciardi et al. created a sport-specific definition of mental toughness for
Australian football after interviews with 11 male coaches in the Western Australian
Football League. Their definition also implies that several psychological skills are
necessary for an athlete to be mentally tough. Specifically, according to Gucciardi et al.
mental toughness encompasses one's collective beliefs (encompassing attitudes,
values, behaviors, and emotions) which help in overcoming barriers to success. While
proposed definitions of mental toughness differ slightly in syntax, the essence of mental
toughness appears to be the same: psychological resoluteness and positive coping in
the face of the demands of the sporting context. The current study was informed by the
general definition provided by Jones et al. as well as the work of Gucciardi et al. who
added specificity in relation to the psychological attributes of mental toughness.
A multitude of measures have been proposed to measure mental toughness in
sport. In recent years several general (Psychological Performance Inventory, PPI;
Psychological Performance Inventory-Alternative, PPI-A; Mental Toughness
Questionnaire, MTQ; Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire, SMTQ) and sport-
specific (Australian football Mental Toughness Inventory, AfMTI;Cricket Mental
Toughness Inventory, CMTI) instruments have been employed in the literature.
However, none of these measures purporting to examine mental toughness have
satisfied all the rigorous construct validation principles deemed necessary for the
development of sound instrumentation. For example, a measure may display
satisfactory factorial validity, but lack face or external validity. Even when validity criteria
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have been satisfied, a measure that is not grounded in theory may fail to adequately
inform researchers why particular components are included (or not) in the measure.
Given the paucity of adequate measures in the current literature the PPI-A was selected
for use in this study based on its item brevity (14-items), heuristic appeal, and factorial
validity.
The PPI-A is a revised version of Loehr's original 42-item Psychological
Performance Inventory, which has been used in a number of studies related to
psychological performance skills and mental toughness. Loehr described mental
toughness with characteristics such as refusal to be intimidated, unyielding attitude
when beaten, retaining optimal arousal, and eagerness to compete. Based on
interviews Loehr devised a 7-factor structure which included self-confidence, negative
energy control, attention control, visualization and imagery control, motivation, positive
energy, and attitude control. Loehr used the PPI to both evaluate mental skills and
discern levels of mental toughness. Commonalities exist between Loehr's ideas and the
definition proposed by Jones and colleagues. For instance, an unyielding attitude when
beaten suggests that coping strategies following stressful events are used by an athlete.
Also, the inclusion of factors dealing with control, motivation, and self-belief is similar to
remaining in control, determined, and confident. Subsequent studies exploring the factor
structure of the PPI indicated a need for re-evaluation of the measure. Therefore, Golby
et al. explored the factor structure of the PPI and created an alternative measure called
the PPI-A. Gucciardi et al.have suggested that, rather than being a measure of mental
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toughness, the PPI-A may be better conceptualized as an assessment of characteristics
and skills consonant with mental toughness. The factor structure of the PPI-A captures
many of the core elements of mental toughness as articulated by Jones et al. and
Gucciardi et al. Specifically, it measures psychological skills that are indicative of mental
toughness such as, the athlete's resolve and commitment to their sport, sustained
confidence in themselves, control of their energy and attitude, ability to regulate their
thoughts and energy, and use of visualization skills in practice and competition.
Although this factor structure does not contain an element specifically named control,
the essence of control is captured by several factors. For example, positive cognition
includes controlling negative thoughts and redirecting focus. Intuitively, control
encompasses the ability to manage emotions and attitudes. Also, Golby et al. have
suggested that self-belief includes self-regulatory feelings, which is a part of control.
While it is presumed that athletes who perform better are more mentally tough,
research has tended to tangentially address athlete performance, and findings have
been somewhat equivocal. For example, using the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48
(MTQ48), Crust and Clough reported a positive association between mental toughness
and the time a weight could be suspended in a sample of undergraduate students.
Golby et al. along with Kuan and Roy reported that rugby and Wushu athletes,
respectively, at higher levels of competition were more mentally tough than their less
skilled peers.
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However, these findings are limited because of measurement issues, the noted
differences in mental toughness between skilled and less skilled athletes were quite
narrow in scope, and a proxy (level of competition) was used to assess performance. In
order to address these limitations and further examine the link between psychological
skills associated with mental toughness and performance, we employed the PPI-A and
a metric of basketball performance that more directly assesses athlete's performance
while competing.
Aforementioned performance findings have suggested an association between
skill level and mental toughness. It may be that relative skill level moderates the
relationship of mental toughness to performance. In other words, the skill level of an
athlete, relative to their level of competition, may influence mental toughness but not
account for it. In a very basic way the skill level of athletes on teams are often classified
by the terms starter and non-starter. Starters typically receive more playing time than
non-starters and are assumed to have more skill and to be better performers than non-
starters. In order to extend this line of inquiry we chose to examine the construct of
starting status in basketball as a moderating variable in the relationship between
psychological skills indicative of mental toughness and performance. As yet, few studies
have examined gender differences in mental toughness. In a study of athletes at various
levels of expertise Nicholls et al. reported that males were more mentally tough than
females based on the use of the MTQ48. Related literature also points to possible
gender differences. Gender differences have been reported on self-confidence and
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anxiety management. Specifically, females scored lower on both constructs.
Collectively, this literature suggests that gender differences are likely to exist in self-
reported mental toughness.
The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between psychological
skills consonant with mental toughness and collegiate basketball performance.
Furthermore, we examined possible gender and starting status differences in mental
toughness. Moreover, we explored the extent to which gender, starting status, and
psychological skills indicative of mental toughness predict basketball performance. It
was hypothesized that: (1) there would be a positive relationship between mental
toughness and performance; (2) male college players would score higher on mental
toughness than female college players, and starters would score higher on mental
toughness than non-starters; and finally, (3) gender and starting status, would be
moderating variables in the relationship between psychological skills associated with
mental toughness and performance.
Foreign Literature
Clough et al. (2002) developed the Mental Toughness Questionnaire 48 (MTQ48)
to measure total mental toughness, as well as its subcomponents. The 4C’s model has
previously been indicated as “a useful blueprint for examining this important construct”
Golby and Sheard, (2004) and has been used in a variety of sporting contexts. For
example, Crust and Clough (2005) found that individuals who scored
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higher on total mental toughness, control and confidence were significantly more likely
to tolerate a physical endurance task for longer than those individuals who scored lower
on these factors. Levy et al. (2006) found that higher levels of mental toughness were
associated with a more positive threat appraisal, better ability to cope with pain, and in
the case of injured athletes, greater attendance to clinic rehabilitation. Nicholls et al.
(2008) reported that higher levels of mental toughness were associated with more
problem and approach coping strategies but less with avoidance coping strategies. In
addition, mental toughness and five of its subscales were moderately to highly
correlated with optimism but negatively correlated with pessimism. Finally, mental
toughness has been found to be influenced by both age and sporting experience
(Nicholls et al., 2008). As such, the MTQ48 appears to be a sensitive measure of mental
toughness within a variety of sporting settings. From a coaching and business
perspective, the MTQ 48 has been presented as an effective instrument for the
measurement of Mental Toughness Clough and Strycharczyk, (2008). To further
establish this, this study Mental toughness 429 aimed to use the MTQ48 within an
occupational domain to demonstrate its applicability. The primary aim was to assess any
differences between scores on the MTQ48 between people employed in a variety of
managerial positions. Based on earlier findings in the domain of sport Nicholls et al.,
(2008) we predicted that higher levels of mental toughness would be associated with
higher levels of achievement, partly due to higher-level managers have more
responsibility. Secondly, differences in the scores on the MTQ48 across age were also
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assessed. Age related differences could provide an indication of whether mental
toughness is a relatively stable trait like personality characteristic, or something that
changes with experience and/or exposure to the different positions people occupy in
life. Any observed effects of either or both of these factors would have interesting
implications for the utility of the MTQ48 and the potential development of mental
toughness.. It is widely believed among competitive sport circles that a successful
athlete especially those who become legacies are built through the draft Sabino, (2009)
cited by Gee, Mashall & King, (2010). For some successful athletes, they started as
college athletes playing for the college intramurals, triangular meet or the regional meet.
Competence is intercollegiate athletics are integral component of a student's college life
at many colleges and universities. They provide publicity to their universities and
entertainment to the community, and they help develop and instill school pride
Sylwester & Witosky, (2004). Normally, sports are activities which marked the
emphasis on the physical attributes of athletes; however, it is now being acknowledged
that physical talent is not It is widely believed among competitive sport circles that a
successful athlete especially those who become legacies are built through the draft
Sabino, (2009) cited by Gee, Mashall & King, (2010). For some successful athletes,
they started as college athletes playing for the college intramurals, triangular meet or
the regional meet. Competence is intercollegiate athletics are integral component of a
student's college life at many colleges and universities. They provide publicity to their
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universities and entertainment to the community, and they help develop and instill
school pride Sylwester & Witosky, (2004).
Normally, sports are activities which marked the emphasis on the physical
attributes of athletes; however, it is now being acknowledged that physical talent is not
the only component that leads to athletic success Gucciardi, Gordon & Dimmock,
(2008). In fact, most coaches and athletes recognized that ninety percent of the sporting
success is due to psychological skills Williams, & Krane, (2001). These psychological
skills form the heart of the present study and it sought to find out the level of mental
toughness of scholar athletes of selected State Colleges and Universities in Region 02,
Philippines, who participated the inter-campus/inter-university sports competition, as
well as the regional and national athletic activities of State Colleges and Universities
Athletic Association (SCUAA). the only component that leads to athletic success
Gucciardi, Gordon & Dimmock, (2008). In fact, most coaches and athletes recognized
that ninety percent of the sporting success is due to psychological skills Williams, &
Krane, (2001). These psychological skills form the heart of the present study and it
sought to find out the level of mental toughness of scholar athletes of selected State
Colleges and Universities in Region 02, Philippines, who participated the inter-
campus/inter-university sports competition, as well as the regional and national athletic
activities of State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA). However,
despite the rigorous and regimental physical training, some athletes may perform well at
high standards despite massive pressure and others may perform adequately but not to
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their full capability. The answer may lie on some psychological skills like athletes' mental
toughness which can be learned Loehr, (1986).
The mental toughness is development of athletes in the way of they train and
there is an active debate about whether mental toughness is primarily a developed
characteristic or has a genetic basis. Two studies suggest that foundational processes
occur during development that allow a person to build mental toughness throughout life.
For instance, a study of American Judo and Taekwondo players, parents, and coaches
found that parents provide a "generalized form" of mental toughness upon which
coaches can build a sport-specific form of mental toughness. A similar study suggested
that mental toughness development proceeds first through the development of a tough
attitude strong focus and strong self-belief upon a tough attitude, an athlete learns how
to develop mental toughness attributes needed for training, then for competition.
Another study examined the developmental experiences of ten super-elite athletes and
found that coaches and significant adults played an important role in mental toughness
development through all stages of talent development.
Conversely, the work of Horsburgh et al. (2009) demonstrates that genetic and
non-shared environmental factors contribute to the development of mental toughness
(as measured by the MTQ48), and that mental toughness behaves "in the same manner
as virtually every personality trait that has ever been investigated in behavioral genetic
study". In establishing significant relationships with the big five personality factors of
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Costa and McCrae (1992), these researchers have also provided evidence to support
Clough et al.’s conceptualization of mental toughness. Whilst clearly embracing the
importance of genetics, Clough clearly acknowledges that mental toughness can be
developed.
The study provides important insights from the perspective of sport development
program at the related organizations which can be valuable in identifying and recruiting
suitable athlete; and helping coaches to some extent in planning strategies for athletes
to ensure the effectiveness of its role as an athlete.
Sports Athletes must have good knowledge, need to develop level of
competencies or skills and high motivation in carrying out responsibilities to produce
quality athletes.
The current study uses the MT48 questionnaire to define and measure mental
toughness. This study will determine the extent to which genes and/or environmental
factors contribute to the development of individual differences in mental toughness.
Although prior BG studies have reported a genetic component to constructs related to
mental toughness, such as behavioral resilience, cognitive resilience to socioeconomic
deprivation, and task persistence Thompson, & De Thorne, (2006), no previous
research has examined the multiple dimensions of mental toughness identified by
Clough et al. (2001). Moreover, the current study goes beyond estimating the
contribution of genetic and environmental factors to individual differences in mental
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toughness by also determining whether any phenotypic correlations between mental
toughness and personality are themselves attributable to correlated genetic and/or
environmental factors. Clough et al. (2001) assert that ‘‘mentally tough individuals tend
to be sociable and outgoing”. Given this description, and the fact that studies have
shown significant positive associations between hardiness, resiliency, and extraversion
Campbell-Sills, Cohan, & Stein, (2006), it is expected that mental toughness will be
positively correlated with extraversion. also from Clough et al’s (2001) definition, it is
expected that a positive correlation will be found between mental toughness and
agreeableness and conscientiousness: people who are ‘‘relatively unaffected by
competition or adversity” may also be viewed as being agreeable; and those who
believe they ‘‘control their own destiny” or who score high on Commitment are likely to
also be conscientious. Clough et al. (2001) also state that individuals high on mental
toughness experience and have a high sense of self-belief; from this, it is expected that
a negative correlation will be found between mental toughness and neuroticism. Again,
previous studies have reported significant negative correlations between hardiness,
resiliency, and neuroticism Campbell- Sills et al., (2006), although others have noted
that the relationship between hardiness and neuroticism is not so pronounced as to
render the two constructs redundant Campbell-Sills et al., (2006); Maddi et al. Finally, at
the component level, it is predicted that there will be a positive correlation between
challenge and openness to experience because both constructs reflect an appreciation
for new experiences. Based on previous behavioral genetic studies of other personality
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traits, it is expected that any observed phenotypic correlations between mental
toughness and personality will primarily be attributable to common genetic and common
nonshared environmental factors.
Two instruments have been developed and validated since (2009). Gucciardi and
colleagues validated the American Football Mental Toughness Inventory (AFMTI), while
Sheard and Golby validated the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire and predates
these by some seven years. The factor structure of the MTQ48 has been supported by
an independent research grouping led by Horsburgh (2009). Dr. Lee Crust, University of
Lincoln, compared the SMTQ with the MTQ 48 and concluded "Both instruments appear
to tap the core components of MT but the MTQ48 seemingly provides a more
comprehensive measure".
The MTQ48 questionnaire has demonstrable criterion related, construct and
content validity. Reliability has been assessed by numerous independent researchers
and it has clearly demonstrable internal consistency and test-retest reliability. All
component scales exceed 0.70 and the overall measure has a reliability in excess of
0.90. Independent research CFA paper published in December (2012) can be accessed
through AQR; MD Doug Strycharczyk was involved in the development of the MTQ48.
www.aqr.co.uk Nevertheless both the construct validity and the psychometric properties
of this test have been questioned by Andersen (2011).
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Several other instruments have purported to measure mental toughness, but
research has called their validity into question. For example, the Performance Profile
Inventory (PPI) developed by Jim Loehr used seven subscales to compute a mental
toughness score. The Mental Toughness Inventory (MTI) developed by Middleton and
colleagues measures mental toughness using twelve subscales and appears to show
strong theoretical evidence for its formation. However, construct validation has only
been performed with a narrow sample of athletes, leaving its psychometric properties up
for debate.
Mental toughness, are the stemming is a part from Loehr's (1986) classic
research, because of Loehr’s they able to know the level of confident of a Athletes in the
different sports competition, it is widely indirect to as a critical variable in the popular
media and applied of sport psychology. We evaluated the construct validity of responses
to Loehr' improper solution for the a priori model, we pursued exploratory factor
analyses that resulted in a 5-factor model that fitted the data well. However, further
analyses showed that key correlates of mental toughness were more strongly correlated
with the factors based on the original structure than factors based on the alternative
structure. In conclusion, neither the original PPI nor the subset of PPI items in the
better-fitting alternative model was a sound measure of mental toughness, indicating
that a good fit is a necessary but not sufficient condition for construct
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validation. Good instrumentation must be strong in terms of conceptual/theoretical
considerations, psychometric properties, and relationships to key correlates
hypothesized to be meaningfully related to it.
Touted as a multidimensional measure of mental toughness in sport, this study
explored the psychometric properties of the Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI;
Loehr, (1986) Loehr, J. E. (1986). Mental toughness training for sports: Achieving
athletic excellence, Lexington, MA: Stephen Greene. and its successor the
Psychological Performance Inventory–A Golby , Sheard, & Van
Wersch, (2007). Evaluating the factor structure of the psychological performance
inventory. Perceptual and Motor Skills. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to
examine the extent to which data collected with 333 Australian footballers aged between
15 and 18 years (M = 16.88, SD = .71) fitted the a priori measurement models of both
inventories. The results did not support the psychometric properties of the PPI both in
terms of model fit and internal consistency.
Although model fit data for the PPI–A were encouraging, inadequate levels of
internal consistency was evidenced. Convergent validity analyses involving measures of
achievement goals and global mental toughness generally supported the validity of the
PPI and PPI–A subscale. Taken together with previous research e.g., Middleton et al.,
( 2004).
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Mental toughness of Athletes is an indispensable characteristic of a successful
athlete; it has been acknowledged as one of the most fundamental traits underpinning
performance and excellence in a sporting setting Gucciardii et al. (2015). Mental
toughness is made up of a number of tangible attributes. Suggested definitions include:
an individual’s ability to persevere in the face of adversity and challenging situations
(Goldberg, 1998), an ability to bounce back effectively from failure Carr, (2010), and
also an individual’s ability to try their best every time and their ability to maintain
concentration and confidence after a loss Karageorghis & Terry, (2010).
In a study carried out on the mental toughness of elite sport performers by Jones
(2002), 12 distinct attributes which are vital in order for elite athletes to be mentally
tough were identified. The importance of each attribute was ranked between one and
twelve. The three most important attributes of a mentally tough elite sports person were;
one, having an unshakeable self-belief in one’s own ability to reach their goals; two, was
having an unshakable self-belief that you possess greater ability and qualities than your
opponents; and thirdly, having an unquenchable internal desire and motivation to
succeed over their opponents. All twelve attributes of elite mentally tough athletes were
related to desire, motivation, self-belief, handling pressure, and handling failure. All
twelve attributes found to be vital for mental toughness are equally reported by
individual and team sport athletes. A growing body of research has identified the
importance of a number of skills which can be coached and strengthened in order to
make an individual more resilient in sport. Some of the psychological techniques which
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have been found to be most effective in improving mental toughness include positive
thinking, mental imagery, changes of mindset and strength based approaches which
focus on reinforcing inherent strengths Gordon (2012). These techniques could be very
beneficial for both team and individual athletes in order to enhance resilience/mental
toughness. Mental toughness techniques have become an extremely important focal
point for athletes, coaches and a number of other sport governing bodies. These
techniques are becoming more commonly used with the goal of enhanced performance,
enjoyment of sport and improved general mental wellbeing.
Similarly, Harmison (2011) suggests that in order for individuals to be resilient in
achieving their peak performance, they need competent mental skills such as relaxation
skills, attention control and optimal levels of arousal. Ideally, in order for an athlete to
enhance mental toughness these skills can be practiced and strengthened. This can be
achieved either with a sport psychologist working directly with team or individual
athletes, or it can be achieved by working with a coach and teaching a coach the
techniques to make it possible for them to incorporate these mental skills into a training
regime. Furthermore, in a study carried to incorporate these mental skills into a training
regime. Furthermore, in a study carried out comparing highly skilled athletes to average
skilled athletes, findings of the study demonstrated that the highly skilled athletes
exhibited significantly higher levels of mental toughness. This was suggested to be due
to being more competitive in nature, having greater confidence in their own technical
ability and having an internal locus of control Thomas, Schlinker & Over, (1996). Zeng
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(2003) reported significantly higher self-confidence levels in team athletes in
comparison to individual athletes. This result gives us reason to believe that mental
toughness levels will also be higher in team sport athletes, as according to the “sport
mental toughness questionnaire” Sheard, Golby & Wersch, (2009), self-confidence is a
key element of mental toughness. Similiarily, Jalili, Hosseini & Salehian (2011) results
from a study carried out on female athletes are in agreement with Zeng (2003) results.
This study revealed that there were significant differences in levels of mental toughness
between team athletes and individual athletes, with team athletes scoring higher on
levels of mental toughness. This could be due to the fact that team athletes have been
found to be more aggressive, jealous and have more pride than individual athletes. This
may be due to the completive nature within a team where team mates are competing
with each other on a regular basis, this constant competition therefore requiring greater
mental toughness. Furthermore, athletes who participate in team sports are impacted
strongly by ‘’team resilience’’. Team resilience is a psychosocial process which protects
a group of individuals collectively from the negative possible outcomes of stressors,
pressure and adversity. Individuals in a team combine their resources to positively deal
with adversity and challenges to react and cope effectively Masten & O’Dougherty
Wright, (2010). Although a number of studies found significant differences in levels of
mental toughness between team sports and individual sport, another study’s results
contradict these findings. Nicholls, Polman, Levy & Backhouse, (2009) found that there
is no significant relationship between team and individual sport athletes on levels of
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mental toughness. Also, when the effect of experience on mental toughness was tested,
Nicholls et al. (2009) revealed that there was a significant relationship between mental
toughness and years of sporting experience. Results revealed that athletes’ levels of
mental toughness increased in correlation with increasing age and a greater number of
years of sporting experience. Also, as age and years of experience are likely closely
related, it is suggested that biological and learning experience factors may have an
impact on this result.
Mental toughness research has tended to focus on elite performers from various
sports Jones (2002) as well as within specific sports such as elite cricket Bull,
Shambrook, James, Brooks, (2005) Collectively, findings from these studies
demonstrated a fair amount of consistency on what constitutes mental.
It is interesting to note that in the theoretical development of the construct of
mental toughness, several different perspectives have been offered. For example,
Clough and his colleagues (2002) used hardiness as a theoretical framework to develop
a definition and model of mental toughness (i.e., the 4C's model). Specifically, these
authors combined the components of hardiness (i.e., control, commitment, challenge)
with confidence. Another example is Jones, Hanton and Connaughton, (2007), who
reported 30 attributes of mental toughness and proposed a framework on how these
attributes can be used. Specifically, the framework consists of four separate dimensions
(i.e., attitude/mindset, training, competition, and post-competition) and offers insights
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into which of the attributes are necessary in the different settings. This framework has
recently been extended to offer an insight into the development and maintenance of
mental toughness across athletes' various career stages. Finally, Gucciardi, Gordon and
Dimmock, (2008) adopted Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) as a framework to
combined the components of hardiness (i.e., control, commitment, challenge) with
confidence. Another example is Jones, Hanton and Connaughton, (2007), who reported
30 attributes of mental toughness and proposed a framework on how these attributes
can be used. Specifically, the framework consists of four separate dimensions (i.e.,
attitude/mindset, training, competition, and post-competition) and offers insights into
which of the attributes are necessary in the different settings. This framework has
recently been extended to offer an insight into the development and maintenance of
mental toughness across athletes' various career stages. Finally, Gucciardi, Gordon and
Dimmock, (2008) adopted Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) as a framework to
create a grounded theory of mental toughness. A key principle of PCP is that individuals
strive to make sense of themselves and their environment by devising theories about
their world. Further, PCP emphasizes that individuals differ in how they perceive
situations and interpret them, what is considered important, and what is implied by
individuals' particular construing of events Kelly, (1991). The mental toughness model
encompassed the interaction of three components that were considered central to the
conceptualization of mental toughness specific to Australian football including
characteristics (11 ranked bipolar constructs such as self-belief vs. self-doubt; work-
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ethic vs. lazy), situations (i.e., internal and external situations that demand mental
toughness), and behaviors (i.e., behaviors displayed in the situations requiring mental
toughness). From a theoretical and empirical point of view it is extremely important to
understand and define mental toughness Nevertheless, from practical and applied
perspectives it is important for coaches, athletes and significant others to understand
how to build and develop mental toughness.
As just noted, although various models and frameworks of mental toughness
have been developed, Jones and Moorehouse (2007) provided a useful practical
framework based on the attributes of mental toughness research that categorizes the
various attributes into the four pillars of mental toughness (i.e., motivation, self-
confidence, attentional focus, coping with pressure). From a practical perspective, the
pillars of mental toughness can provide a structured framework for which to identify
strategies to teach and build mental toughness. The four pillars are described below
and are later used to offer practical strategies on how to build mental toughness by
either teaching mental skills or creating a suitable environment (e.g., physical, mental
emotional, social). Recognizing that certain types of motivation and motivational
strategies are more conducive than others for optimal performance, this pillar is
centered on the optimal levels and types of motivation required to achieve your goals.
Motivation for the mentally tough athlete would encompass a strong desire for success;
willingness to push oneself, persist, and work hard; setting difficult but attainable goals;
and bouncing back from performance setbacks Jones (2002).
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Considered one of the most important mental toughness characteristics
gucciardi; gordon; jones; (2002), this pillar encapsulates mentally tough athletes' belief
that they have the abilities to achieve their goals. According to Jones and Moorhouse
(2007), this strong belief in oneself enables the mentally tough athlete to take educated
risks, learn from criticism, control unwanted thoughts and feelings, and expect that good
things will happen in the future, for example. Being able to focus their attention on the
relevant cues in the environment and maintain that focus despite distractions, as well as
not allow things to detract their attention from their priorities is a hallmark of mentally
tough athletes Jones (2002); dimmock, (2008). Mentally tough athletes maintain such
attentional focus by focusing on controlling the control able; staying in the moment;
focusing on the positives; and focusing on the process jones; moorhouse, (2007).
This pillar relates to being able to perform under pressure by controlling the
amount and nature of stress experienced jones; moorhouse, (2007). The different
aspects of pressure as it relates to mental toughness include coping effectively with
adversity; staying calm under pressure; accepting that anxiety is inevitable and enjoying
it; thriving on pressure; and interpreting anxiety as facilitative for performance gucciardi;
jones; hanton (2002); butt; culp, (2011).
Although there is on-going research and debate as to exactly how mental
toughness is developed, from existing research it appears that mental toughness is both
"caught" via environmental influences and "taught" through training. Following a similar
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line of inquiry to talent development, mental toughness researchers have used the
reflective accounts of elite athletes to provide important information on how they
developed their mental toughness during earlier stages of their careers bull; shambrook;
james; brooks, (2005). Findings from these studies highlight that mental toughness can
be developed (i.e., caught) through certain environmental influences. For example, Bull,
Shambrook, James and Brooks, (2005) reported that environmental influences provided
the foundation for the development of tough character (e.g., competitiveness), tough
attitudes (e.g., go the extra mile mindset), and tough thinking (e.g., robust self-
confidence) in elite cricketers. When referring to environmental influences, athletes who
are retrospectively recalling their development are not referring to situations that they
have deliberately placed themselves in to specifically develop their mental toughness,
but rather they are recalling how the environment has influenced them.
Coaches and parents have important roles to play in developing mental
toughness (whether "caught" or "taught"). In a study focusing on National Collegiate
Athletics Association (NCAA) athletes, for example, coaches were reported as having
the most influence in developing their mental toughness butt; weinberg; culp, (2010).
These strategies included creating a tough physical practice environment (e.g., intense
competitive practices, tough physical conditioning), a positive mental environment
(e.g.,Confidence building/positive atmosphere, high expectations), and providing
awareness/learning opportunities (e.g., observing others being mentally tough).
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Similarly, in a study involving athletes' mental toughness development across career
stages, coaches were mentioned as being important in the development of mental
toughness, specifically referring multiple times to the coaches' leadership styles. In
essence, coaches were seen as directly (mentoring, planned teaching) or indirectly
(fostering/nurturing/instilling important skills) teaching mental skills.
Implementing tough physical conditioning is emerging in the literature as one way
to build a tough practice environment. For example, NCAA coaches reported using
tough physical conditioning to build the mental toughness attributes of performing under
pressure and self-belief weinberg; butt; culp, (2011). The extent to which mental
toughness has a physical component is not fully understood, although a consistent
finding is that being physically prepared is linked to displaying high levels of self-belief.
From a practical perspective, this connection between the physical and mental aspects
should be emphasized when building mental toughness and designing training
sessions.
Manipulating practice environments to create competitive, difficult and pressure
inducing situations is an important strategy for building mentally tough athletes.
However, these environments should be positive and confidence-building as opposed to
negative and punishment-oriented. For example, elite athletes have reported that being
in a competitive practice, tough physical conditioning), a positive mental environment
(e.g. confidence building/positive atmosphere, high expectations), and providing
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appears to be particularly salient in developing the motivational attributes. These
findings are consistent with the talent development literature gould; dieffenach; moffett,
(2002) and with much of the recent sport psychology research on reinforcement and
feedback, which emphasizes a positive approach to the learning and performance of
skills and competition (smith, (2006). To help create this positive climate, coaches
should consider providing reinforcement and feedback, which emphasizes a positive
approach to the learning and performance of skills and competition (e.g., provide
encouragement, give positive and instructional feedback, set-up practices that are fun
and enjoyable, consider individual differences). To develop mental toughness, athletes
being exposed to encouraging environments (both inside and outside of the sport
setting) is not only linked to the roles of coaches but also to the roles of athletes'
parents. A consistent finding in youth-sport literature is that parents play a central role in
their child's sporting experience in general and can also influence their motivation to
participate in sport, and their enjoyment brustad; babkes; smith, (2001). Talent
development literature supports the idea that parents are important in helping aspiring
young athletes to fulfill their potential Bloom, (1985); côté, (1999); gould; dieffenach;
moffett, (2002) and progress through the various stages of their careers. The role of
parents influencing an appropriate attitude towards sport participation was found in
studies involving UAAP Division 1 athletes as well as elite cricketers. The recurring
theme among these research findings is that parents encouraged a "if it's worth doing,
it's worth doing right" mindset.
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Collectively, these findings indicate that with the appropriate support and
encouragement, parents can influence the development of mental toughness. It is
important to note that existing sport psychology literature in these areas (e.g., mental
toughness, psychological talent development, youth sport) typically acknowledges that
parents should adopt an appropriate level of involvement in their child's sport
development to be. Specifically, parents maintaining an appropriate perspective on their
child's sporting involvement, encouraging ownership and responsibility, as well as being
part of a supportive social support network are considered important parent behaviors
for developing elite athletes' psychological characteristics.
In addition to manipulating the training environment to develop mental toughness
as previously discussed (i.e., the caught element), mental skills appear to have an
important role to play in training athletes to be mentally tough. In support of this view,
elite athletes have reported the successful use of mental skills (e.g., mental preparation,
imagery, goal-setting, self-talk) in helping them not only to develop their mental
toughness but also as a strategy to maintain it. Intervention research has provided
preliminary support for the usefulness of mental skills training targeting specific mental
toughness attributes for its enhancement with youth footballers gucciardi; gordon;
dimmock, (2009).
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When implementing strategies to develop mental toughness, both knowledge
from environmental influences and specific mental skills can be combined for optimal
effectiveness. Using the four pillars of mental toughness model as a framework jones;
moorhouse, (2007), this next section draws upon the development of mental toughness
literature to provide an overview of some strategies to build mental toughness. This
study conducted to determine the two martial arts as sports is a kind of specialization
where the student athletes will concentrate mainly on the behavior and relation of the
sports in order to identify what are to be improved on the athletic performance of an
athletes in various competitions.
The scientific study of mental toughness has occurred primarily within sport
contexts. Gucciardi, et al. (2011), developed the largely as a result of mental toughness
being one of the most commonly applied but least understood terms used by individuals
such as coaches and athletes Jones, Hanton, & Connaughton, (2002). Alongside the
prevalence of mental toughness in the vernacular of these individuals, the increased
scholarly attention to this concept in sport coincided with the rise of positive psychology
in which the focus of both research and practice shifted from human malfunctioning
toward that which also considers human strengths and optimal functioning for reviews,
see Lopez & Snyder, (2009). As a personal resource considered important for both
overcoming adversity as well as maintaining high levels of performance or functioning
(e.g., Gucciardi, Hanton, Gordon, Mallett, & Temby, in press; Jones, Hanton, &
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Connaughton, (2007), mental toughness represents a contemporary application of the
science of positive psychology in sport contexts Rusk & Waters, (2013).
Conceptualized as one of the most important individual difference concepts for
attaining and sustaining performance excellence across a variety of achievement
contexts (e.g., sport, business, workplace), it is of no surprise that mental toughness
has subsequently become an important focus in areas such as surgery e.g., Colbert,
Scott, Dale, & Brennan, (2012), business e.g., Jones & Moorhouse, (2007), and law
enforcement e.g., Miller, (2008).
This is a specific theory within a category of psychology and learning theories
called "competency theories," which attempt to understand how people achieve and
understand competency (or incompetency) in a topic area. The Dunning-Kruger Effect
describes a mismatch between the actual and perceived skills of people who are highly
incompetent at a task or subject area as well as people who are highly competent at it.
The authors posit that, for low-skilled (incompetent) people, this is a metacognitive
problem, in which they do not have enough knowledge to be able to recognize their lack
of knowledge, or to recognize that they are less competent than their peers. For highly
competent people, however, this is considered a false-consensus effect, in which they
assume others around them are also competent and underestimate their own abilities in
comparison (this is similar to "impostor syndrome"). Kruger and Dunning (1999) suggest
that "the miss calibration of the incompetent stems from an error about the self, whereas
the miss calibration of the highly competent stems from an error about others." In both
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cases, training in both the topic and in metacognitive skills related to it improves a
person's ability to accurately estimate their skill relative to peers. In the case of the
highly incompetent, this may be because they have become more competent; in the
case of the highly competent, it may be because they receive validation of their skill.
Synthesis
The series of studies and literature written by the foreign and local authors in the
chapter discusses the philosophy and concepts relevant to the tracer’s study. The
information from foreign and local study gathered is very useful to us to have
information about Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports. In
general, the literatures relevant issues will provide the research conducting the study for
gathering and interpreting data. And the hardiness has also apart and similar construct
to mental toughness. Hardiness has typically been constructed as a personality trait,
which is generally seen as stable throughout the lifetime. This differs from the
conceptions of mental toughness offered by both Jones et al. and Gucciardi et al. These
authors both conceive of mental toughness as unstable, arising in development,
fluctuating over time, and varying for an individual performer between different sport and
life scenarios and for performance is the ability of an individual to do a certain task
properly.
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Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
This chapter covers the discussion of the method of research or design
respondents, research instrument, data participation of the study and statistical used in
this study.
This study seeks out to find the relation between Mental Toughness and Sports
Performance of Athletes in Judo and Taekwondo in Selected Universities in Metro
Manila. according to age, gender and events participated.
RESEARCH DESIGN
This study used the descriptive correlation type of research to determine the
Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes in Judo and Taekwondo in Selected
Private Universities in Metro Manila.
Descriptive research is a study designed to depict the participants in accurate
way. More simply put, descriptive research is all about describing people who take part
of the study.
Descriptive Correlation refers to a type of study which information is collected
without making any changes to the study subject. This mean the experimenter cannot
directly interact with the environment in which she is studying in a way that would cause
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any changes related to experiment. Three types are also sometimes known as
observational studies.
The researchers made use of descriptives correlation method to determine the
Mental Toughness and Sport Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports. Descriptives
correlational method is a research design to study frequencies averages and other
statistical calculation to help investigate assess presents existing condition or situation
according to bridges et.al (2005) to detirmine the relation of the two different variables in
this study which are Mental Toughness and Sports Performance of Athletes in Contact
Sports. In this study the present existing conditions are the Mental Toughness and
Sports Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports.
Research Locale
This study was conducted by the research team who are Bachelor of Physical
Education students of the Universidad de Manila the participants were students from
National Universities located at Sampaloc Manila and University of the East located at
Recto Manila.
Respondents of the Study

The primary respondents of this study consisted of Athletes in selected Private
Universities in Metro Manila, such as Judo and Taekwondo.
The table show the distribution of Respondents.
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Table 1
DISTRIBUTION OF THE RESPONDENTS
Judo Taekwondo
Universities Male Female Total Male Female Total
National 8 8 16 4 3 7
University
University of 4 3 7 4 2 6
the East
Total 23 13
The table 1 shown the distribution of Male and Female athletes in Judo and Taekwondo
Distribution of Respondent
Table 1 anchored an illustrative example of the distribution of the respondents in
the following universities including, National University and University of The East and
those universities was consisted of 36 student Athletes divided in 12 Males of Judo, 11
Females of Judo and 8 Males of Taekwondo and last is 5 Females of Taekwondo.
Research Instrument
Based on the literature and studies, the researchers develop a questionnaire to
determine the mental toughness and sports performance of athletes in Judo and
Taekwondo in Selected Private Universities in Metro Manila. The questionnaire was
validated by the dean of the College of Human Kinetics. It is 1- 20 items of Mental
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Toughness and 1-20 items of Sports Performance of Athlete in Contact Sports
questionnaire that tries to assess the mental toughness and performance.
Data Gathering
The researcher prepared a letter requesting a permit to conduct the study, duty
noted by the adviser with a recommending approval form the Dean of College of the
Human Kinetics, since there were two (2) targets school, four (4) letters were prepared
and submitted to the Deans head of the schools. Upon receiving approval form them the
researchers again requested schedule- time and date to meet the students. On the
scheduled date, the respondents were oriented on the nature and purpose of the study.
The content of the informed consent form was explained by the researchers and
entertained questions. After the signing of the consent form. The respondents were as
to fill out the survey- questionnaires which intended to answer 15 to 25 minutes. There
were some school were in the researcher were ask to come back to the purpose of
retrieving the questionnaires, after retrieving the 36 accomplished questionnaires, the
research team tallied, translated, analyze and interpreted the data.
Statistical Treatment
The Researches made use of the following statistical tools in answering their
research questions.
Problems #1 What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:
` 1.1. Age;
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1.2. Gender;
1.3. Sport(s); and
1.3. Length of Year in Playing
Frequency Percentage
The researchers used frequency count percentage as a statistical treatment
technique to determine the Demographic profile of the respondents.
Problem #2 Based on profile, how do the athletes in selected University perceive the
study in terms of:
2.1. Relationship;
2.2. Self- Confidence;
2.3. Cognitive and;
2.4. Encouragement and;
2.5. Organization
Problem #3 Is there a significant relationship between Mental Toughness and Mental
Toughness and Performance of Athletes in Contacts Sports?
Weighted Arithmetic Mean
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The researchers used the weighted arithmetic mean to show the weighted
average of the total response of the respondents, used to gathered data and determine
variables being studied.
Correlation
The researchers used the Spearman rho metric as a statistical treatment to
determine the significant between the Mental Toughness and Sport Performance of
Athletes taking taekwondo and judo in selected universities SY 2017-2018 it will be
used to answer the sub-problem number 5.
Statistical Treatment of Data
In this study, the researcher used statistical formula in analyzing the raw data to
get the profile of the respondents which will answer specific question number on (1),
percentage and frequency counts will be used. Percentage was used a descriptive
statistical technique particularly when comparing sizes of different magnitudes.
Problem 1- Profile of the Respondents
A z- test is a statistical test used to determine whether two population means are
different when the variances are known and the sample size is large.
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The test statistic is assumed to have a normal distribution, and nuisance parameters
such as standard deviation should be known for an accurate z-test to be performed.
Problem 2- Perspective of Mental Toughness and Sports Performance of Athletes in
Judo and Taekwondo in the Selected Private Universities in Metro Manila.
Weighted Arithmetic Mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean, except that
instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data
points contribute more than others. The notion of weighted mean plays a role in
descriptive statistics and also occurs in a more general form in several other areas of
mathematics.
Problem 3- Significant of the Difference on the Mental Toughness and Performance of
the Respondents.
Analysis of Variance is a collection of statistical models used to analyze the
differences among group means and their associated procedures developed by
statistician and evolutionary biologist Ronald Fisher. In the ANOVA setting, the observed
variance in a particular variable is partitioned into components attributable to different
sources of variation. In its simplest form, ANOVA provides a statistical test of whether or
not the means of several groups are equal, and therefore generalizes the t- test to more
than two groups.
Chapter 4
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PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
This chapter presents the analysis and interpretation of data gathered out of the
instruments used in the study and is presented according to the specific problems cited
in chapter 1.
The result of the study are presented using tabular (use of statistical table) and
textual presentations (use of statements or sentences)
Problem 1: Profile of Respondents
Table 2
Age Profile of the Respondents
University 18-19 20-27 Total
National University 5 18 23
University of the 3 10 13
East
Total 8 28 36
Percentage 22% 78% 100%
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Table 2 shows the age distribution of the respondents that out of 36, There are 8 or 22%
respondents who belong to the 18-19 age bracket and 28 or 78 % of the respondents
belong to the 20-27 age bracket.
Age Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
18-19 years old 8 22%
20-27 years old 28 78%
Total 36 100%
Table 2 shows the age distribution of the respondents that out of 36, There are 8 or 22%
respondents who belong to the 18-19 age bracket and 28 or 78 % of the respondents
belong to the 20-27 age bracket.
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Table 3
Gender Distribution of the Respondents

University Female Male Total
National University 11 12 23
University of the 5 8 13
East
Total 16 20 36
Percentage 44% 56% 100%
Table 3 shows the gender distribution of the Respondents. Out of 36 respondents 20 or
56% were males and 16 or 44% were females.
Gender Frequency (n) Percentage (%)
Male 20 56%
Female 16 44%
Total 36 100%
Table 3 shows the gender distribution of the Respondents. Out of 36 respondents 20 or
64% were males and 16 or 36% were females.
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Table 4
National University University of the East

Length of Male Female Percentage Total Male Female Percentage Total
Years in % %
Playing
Neo Fight 7 9 16 4 5 9
(1-5)
Experience 6 1 7 3 1 4
(6 Above)
Table 4 shows the Year Level Distribution of the Respondents, there were a total of 25
respondents, the 2nd year level respondents, 11 or 44 % were male and 7 or 28% were
female, the 3rd year level respondents, 2 or 8% were male and another 2 or 8% were
female, while the 4th year level respondents had 3 or 12% male and 0 or 0% female.
Length of Male Percentage Female Percentage

years in (%) (%)
playing
11 44% 7 28%
2 8% 2 8%
Total 16 64% 9 36%
Table 4 shows the Year Level Distribution of the Respondents, there were a total of 25
respondents, the 2nd year level respondents, 11 or 44 % were male and 7 or 28% were
female, the 3rd year level respondents, 2 or 8% were male and another 2 or 8% were
female, while the 4th year level respondents had 3 or 12% male and 0 or 0% female.
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Bibliography
Books
Cruz-Sandig, Dahlia Centino. (2011). Mental Toughness of the National Gymnastics
athletes. Integrated College of Physical Education and Sports Malolos, Bulacan.
Macugay, Ignacio Eugenio. (2011). Level of Sports Confidence of Athletes of the
Mariano Marcos State University. PBSP Building Magallanes St. Intramuros, Manila.
Garcia, Maria Angeles Imelda L. (2010). Learning Competencies of Pupils Before
and After the Integration of Movements. Integrated College of Physical Education
and Sports Malolos, Bulacan.
Arquillo, Steven Kurt A. et al., (2015). Coaching Behavior of Coaches of the
Department of Competitive Athletes: Basis for a Proposed Intervention Program.
Universidad De Manila C.M. Palma corner A.J. Villegas St. Mehan Garden, Ermita
Manila Philippines.
Robles, Lizette Marie. (2010). Mental Skill and Sports Performance of Varsity
Athletes Among Local Colleges and Universities in National Capital Region.
Universidad De Manila C.M. Palma corner A.J. Villegas St. Mehan Garden, Ermita
Manila Philippines.
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Internet Sources
http://buros.org/standards-teacher-competence-educational-assessment-students
http://www.education.gouv.qc.ca/fileadadmin/site_web/documents/dpse/formation_jeune
s/EchellesNiveauxCompetenceDificienceIntelectuellaProfonede_a.pdf
http://www.d.umn.edu/-dmillsla/courses/sportpschology/documents/motivate
http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ854353.pdf
https://ejo9urnals.ph/article.php?id=7115
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1983-30832013000100001
http://www.conflictenagressie.nl/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Design-and-development-
of-the-MTQ48_P-Clough-e_a_10-sept-2010.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254612000725
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PLGH8Q5
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A. Survey-Questionnaire on the Mental Toughness and Sports Performance of Athletes in Contact

Sports
Part I: The Profile of the Respondents
1. Name (Optional): _______________ 4. Sports Events: ______

2. Age: ________ 5. Length of Year in
3. Gender: ______ Playing: ________
Part II: Mental Toughness and Performance of Index

Instruction: Read the question carefully and encircle the letter the best applies to you:
Please be guided with the scale below.
5- Strongly Agree
4-Agree
3-Neutral
2-Disagree
1-Very Disagree
I. Mental Toughness
1. When I make mistakes I usually let it worry me for days after.
5 - Strongly Agree 4 – Agree 3 – Neutral 2 – Disagree 1 – Very Disagree
2. If I feel somebody is wrong, I am not afraid to argue with them.
3. I often wish my life was more predictable.
4. When working with other people I am usually quite influential
5. When I am upset or annoyed I usually let others know.
6. I often feel intimidated in social gatherings.
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7. I generally hide my emotion from others
8. I am comfortable telling people what to do.
9. I usually find myself just going through the motions
10. I generally feel in control
11. I am generally confident in my own abilities
12. I generally find it hard to relax.
13. I generally try to give 100%.
14. I usually find it hard to summon enthusiasm for the tasks I have to do.
15. I generally look on the bright side of life.
5 - Strongly Agree 4 – Agree 3 –Neutral 2 – Disagree 1 – Very Disagree
16. I do not usually criticize myself even when things go wrong.
17. Even when under considerable pressure I usually remain calm.
18. Things just usually happen to me.
19. I generally feel that I am a worthwhile person
20. I usually look forward to changes in my routine.
5 - Strongly Agree 4 – Agree 3 – Neutral 2 – Disagree 1 – Very Disagre
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II. Performance in Contact Sports
Instruction: Read the question carefully and encircle the letter the best applies to you.
Please be guided with the scale below.
1. I learned my lesson while losing and winning in the fight.
2. Motion is technique in sports combat.
3. Exercises is the way of being healthy.
4. Flexible and Motion is important in combat sports.
5. Contact sports help us to maintain the balance of our body.
6. I respect my sports, other participants, couches, officials, and themselves.
7. I pursue excellence, not perfection and realize that I, as well as my coaches, teammates,
officials and not others are perfect.
8. Challenge usually bring out me the best.
9. When faced with difficulties I usually give up.
10. I used self-talk to regulate thoughts, feelings and behavior during competition.
11. I usually train my flexibility in training.
12. I can generally be relied upon to complete the tasks I am given.
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13. I prefer myself for competition by imaging myself performing well in competition.
14. During competition I am able to maintain focus resist distraction, whether they come from
the environment or from within themselves.
15. I usually enjoy a challenge.
16. Performance for me is the thing that I pursue.
17. I can generally be relied upon to complete the tasks I am given.
18. I viewed my sports as an opportunity to complete against myself and learn from my successes and failures.
19. I maintain balance and perspective between my sport and my rest of my life.
20. Even sports have their different factors.
Thank you and God bless
Research Instruments lifted from http://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PLGHQ5 and Sports Performance of Varsity Athletes Among
Local Colleges and Universities in National Capital Region. Author: Robles, Lizelle Marie. (2010) and modified by the
researchers (2018) for use at UDM
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UNIVERSIDAD DE MANILA

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Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

The cornerstone of the Mental Toughness is the Emotional Intelligence, athlete

negative emotion and do something productive. Mental toughness is the ability to

consistently sustain one’s ideal performance state during advertises in competition it is

coaches, sport psychologists, sports commentators, and business leaders.

The used of Mental Toughness frequency is to colloquially to refer to any set of

of athletes who persevere through difficult sport circumstances to succeed. For

mental toughness as unstable, arising in development, fluctuating over time, and

toughness exists as a valid construct it may on occasion be maladaptive. Evidence to

toughness by Tibbert (2013).

some forms of Taekwondo.

Evolving in a highly competitive environment where maximal performance is all

the sport-specific characteristics they experience during competition. Due to the

demands of training and competition, athletes experience a constant cycle of “fatigue-

recovery-adaptation”. Performance is enhanced by training stimulus only if adaptive

important to determine appropriate training loads to maximize subsequent performance.

biomechanics. At one extreme, Physiologists may consider fatigue as failure or

dysfunction of a particular physiological system while at the other extreme, psychologist

may view fatigue as an uncomfortable perception or sensation.

athletic performance. Feltz (2011) a well-known researcher in sports psychology studied

how and when mental toughness best improves performance.

Symbolic Learning Theory- Imagery may be part of a coding system that

Psycho Neuromuscular- Mental toughness works because even when we

quite frequently by simply having athletes mentally rehearse images.

(1996), included that imagery in cognitive restructuring is important component of

cognitive-behavioral intervention, it permits athletes to develop an ability to perform an

image of a “cognitive map” in the athletic having a different interpretation of the

Furthermore, butler (cited in Humara, 2000) suggested a mnemonic device called

demands put upon them.

The conceptual framework is represented by the input-process-output system

process-output (IPO) system model consisted of three phases

The Process indicates the research design, research instruments, respondents

and the statistical treatment to be used in the conducting the study.

The Output shows the possible outcomes of the study.

Paradigm of the Study

Input PROCESS Output

1. The profile of the 1. Profile between

Statement of the Problem

of Athletes in Contact Sports.

This study sought answer to the following questions:

1. What is the profile of the respondents in terms of:

1.3. Sport(s); and

1.3. Length of Year in Playing

2.2. Self- Confidence;

2.3. Cognitive and;

2.4. Encouragement and;

3. Is there a significant relationship between Mental Toughness and Mental Toughness

and Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports.

HO1: There is no significant relationship on the Mental Toughness and Performance of

Athletes in Contact Sports

Scope and Limitation of the Study:

This study focused on Mental Toughness and Performance of Athletes in

as follows: Cognitive, Relationship, Self- Confidence, Encouragement, Organization.

and Performance of Athletes in Contact Sports in Judo and Taekwondo in Selected

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The researchers believe that these study is significant to the following:

toughness and performance of athletes.

In the field of research:

relationship of mental toughness and performance of athletes in different field of sports.

To the sports people: