The Concept of Mental Toughness: Tests of Dimensionality, Nomological Network, and Traitness

• DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12079
• Publication Date: 2014-01-16T02:56:48Z
• Authors: Daniel F. Gucciardi; Sheldon Hanton; Sandy Gordon; Clifford J. Mallett; Philip Temby
• Keywords: Adult; Male; multilevel structural equation modeling; Social Psychology; Adolescent; Psychometrics; Emotions; 150; stress; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; diary study; Adaptation, Psychological; Humans; personal resources; resilience; 3207 Social Psychology; Motivation; 4. Education; goal striving; Australia; Focus Groups; Middle Aged; Resilience, Psychological; Self Efficacy; mental toughness; Military Personnel; Athletes; Female; Goals; Stress, Psychological; New Zealand; Personality

AbstractMental toughness has received increased scholarly attention in recent years, yet conceptual issues related to its (a) dimensionality, (b) nomological network, and (c) traitness remain unresolved. The series of studies reported in this article were designed to examine these three substantive issues across several achievement contexts, including sport, education, military, and the workplace. Five studies were conducted to examine these research aims—Study 1: N = 30; Study 2: calibration sample (n = 418), tertiary students (n = 500), athletes (n = 427), and employees (n = 550); Study 3: N = 497 employees; Study 4: N = 203 tertiary students; Study 5: N = 115 army candidates. Collectively, the results of these studies revealed that mental toughness may be best conceptualized as a unidimensional rather than a multidimensional concept; plays an important role in performance, goal progress, and thriving despite stress; and can vary and have enduring properties across situations and time. This series of studies provides a foundation for further basic and applied research of mental toughness across various achievement contexts.