THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF MENTAL TOUGHNESS

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THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OFMENTAL
TOUGHNESS
Journal of Sports Sciences
Cardiff School of Sport
Ross Wadey
INTRODUCTION
METHOD
DISCUSSION
Findings revealed that the development of
mental toughness is a long-term process that
encompasses a multitude of perceived mechanisms
operating in a combined, rather than independent,
fashion. Three mechanisms were reported to help
maintain mental toughness (1) a support network
inclusive of sporting and non-sporting personnel,
(2) effective use of basic and advanced
psychological skills, and (3) having a desire and
motivation to succeed that is insatiable and
internalised. Future avenues of research are to
devise psychological interventions that will
assist athletes in developing and maintaining
their mental toughness, and to develop a valid
measure of mental toughness grounded in empirical
research.
The term mental toughness is used frequently by
athletes, coaches, members of the press, sports
commentators, and sport psychologists to describe
why certain athletes may have become, or are
currently, the best in the world in their
respective sports. However, despite researchers
agreeing that mental toughness is vital for
sporting success (e.g., Goldberg, 1998 Gould,
Dieffenbach, Moffett, 2002), a closer
inspection of the literature reveals a dearth of
empirical research, for instance existing mental
toughness training programmes are based on
anecdotal evidence. The purpose of this study,
therefore, was to examine the perceptions of
elite athletes with regard to the development
process and maintenance of mental toughness.
Purposive sampling procedures (Lincoln Guba,
1985) identified an elite sample pool of athletes
(M age 33.1 years, SD 5.3) who had
represented their country at the Olympic or
Commonwealth Games. A preparation booklet that
provided an introduction to the study, an
overview of the interview guide, and tasks to
facilitate memory recall was sent to each
participant one week prior to their interview. In
line with recommendations from Patton (2002), a
semi-structured interview guide, including both
open and closed questions, was developed for this
study. All interviews were transcribed verbatim
and analysed deductively in accordance with the
12 mentally tough attributes identified by Jones,
Hanton, and Connaughton (2002).

RESULTS
Mental Toughness Attributes (Jones et al., 2002) Perceived Underlying Mechanisms
Having an unshakeable self-belief in your ability to achieve your competition goals Coaches leadership, competitive experience, mental preparation, physical preparation, reflection, social support, and vicarious experience
Having an unshakeable self-belief that you possess unique qualities and abilities that make you better than your opponents Demonstration of ability and mastery
Having an insatiable desire and internalised motives to succeed Coaches leadership, competitive rivalry, critical incidents, demonstration of ability, enjoyment, goal-setting, mastery, parents focus, reflection, self-talk, sibling rivalry, social support, and vicarious experience
Bouncing back from performance set-backs as a result of increased determination to succeed Competitive rivalry, insatiable desire and internalised motives to succeed, reflection, self-talk, and social support
Pushing back the boundaries of physical and emotional pain, while still maintaining technique and effort under distress (in training and competition) Coaches leadership, competitive rivalry, enjoyment, insatiable desire and internalised motives to succeed, simulation training, and social support
Accepting that competition anxiety is inevitable and knowing that you can cope with it Competitive experience, mental preparation, physical preparation, and social support
Thriving on the pressure of competition Competitive experience, mental preparation, physical preparation, and social support
Regaining psychological control following unexpected, uncontrollable events (competition-specific) Mental imagery, preperformance routine, process goals, and social support
Switching a sport focus on and off as required Hobbies, mental imagery, preperformance routine, process goals, and social support
Remaining fully-focused on the task at hand in the face of competition-specific distractions Mental imagery, preperformance routine, and process goals
Not being adversely affected by others good and bad performances Mental imagery, preperformance routine, and process goals
Remaining fully-focused in the face of personal life distractions Competitive rivalry, demonstration of ability, enjoyment, insatiable desire and internalised motives to succeed, mental imagery, preperformance routine, process goals, and social support
Wadey, R., Connaughton, D., Hanton, S., and
Jones, G. (in press). The development and
maintenance of mental toughness Perceptions of
elite performers. Journal of Sports Sciences.