Role of Mental Toughness in Sports Performance - PDF
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Added on 2020-11-09
Role of Mental Toughness in Sports Performance - PDF
Added on 2020-11-09
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A systematic review of the role of mental toughness for executionsuccessful performance in professional sport athletes BA Hons Sport and FitnessUniversity College BirminghamValidated by: The University of BirminghamMay 20201
Aim: To examine the role of mental toughness levels for the execution of successful sports performance. More specifically, the current study seeks to examine psychological elements necessary for an athlete to be mentally tough, the importance of developing and maintaining mental toughness levels regarding sports performance, differences in mental toughness levels between the level of competition and effects of mental toughness levels on sports performanceand outcome.Methods: Electronic databases were searched to find trials conducted from January 2004 to November 2019. Articles were assessed independently according to the following inclusion criteria: (1) population: professional, semi-pro or amateur athletes, (2) intervention: mental toughness levels assessing, competition levels assessing, psychological elements necessary foran athlete to be mentally tough assessing, and sports performance assessing, (3) outcomes: changes in athlete’s mental toughness levels, sports performance, or sports outcome.Results: From the 228 articles initially identified, 18 met the criteria for detailed review. There were randomised, and nonrandomised questioners, interviews, surveys, measures or observations study designs. Twelve studies have shown that athletes with high levels of mental toughness are more problem solving focused, less emotional focused, highly motivated, have high levels of self believe, cope better with failure, recover quicker after errorand in team sports communicate more in comparison with athletes with lower levels of mentaltoughness, which for the result have a positive effect on their sports performance. Two studieshave shown that higher levels of mental toughness are positively associated with higher hours of sport-specific practice with no difference between gender and age of specialisation in a specific sport. One study has shown that athletes with high levels of mental toughness have significantly fewer mental health issues, such as depression and burnout. Whereas, two studies found that athlete's sports performance and affect intensity are unrelated to mental toughness levels. Conclusion: Results suggest that there is a strong positive association between mental toughness and sports performance. However, there are a lot of different variables that can determine levels of an athlete's mental toughness and be positively or negatively associated with mental toughness levels, which have a direct impact on sports performance.2
1.0 Introduction...........................................................................................................................41.1 Known about topic............................................................................................................41.2 Aim and objectives...........................................................................................................52.0 Literature review...................................................................................................................53.0 Methods.................................................................................................................................73.1 Eligibility criteria..............................................................................................................73.2 Information sources and search........................................................................................73.3 Study selection and Data collection process.....................................................................83.4 Risk of bias assessment method........................................................................................83.5 Samples.............................................................................................................................94.0 Results...................................................................................................................................94.1 Database results................................................................................................................94.2 Data Collection Procedure..............................................................................................164.3 Performance....................................................................................................................185.0 Discussion...........................................................................................................................195.1 Psychological elements necessary for an athlete to be mentally tough..........................195.2 Importance of developing and maintaining mental toughness levels regarding sports performance..........................................................................................................................215.3 Differences in mental toughness levels between the level of competition.....................255.4 Effects of mental toughness levels on sports performance and outcome.......................266.0 Summary.............................................................................................................................327.0 Reference List.....................................................................................................................348.0 Appendix.............................................................................................................................403
1.0 Introduction1.1 Known about the topic The existing body of research on mental toughness suggests that mental toughness in sport is defined as an intentional, effectual and flexible psychological factor for enhancing and maintaining goal-oriented pursuits (Crust, 2011, Gucciardi et al., 2015 and Powell and Myers,2017). In the same way, the existing research recognises the critical role in sports success, outcome, goals progresses and dealing with stressful situations played by mental toughness, which can have positive and negative effects (Gucciardi, Gordan and Dimmock, 2008, Crust, 2011, Gucciardi et al., 2015 and Powell and Myers, 2017). Therefore, research suggests that mentally tough athletes are those athletes who have high levels of cognitive and behavioural effort such as; determination, focus and self-believe and who can maintain those levels over the specific amount of time (Gucciardi, Gordan and Dimmock, 2008, Sheard, 2010 and Jones and Parker, 2017,).However, on the other hand, it has been demonstrated thatmentally tough athletes have a higher risk of injury during practice or in a competition by pushing their bodies over the limit which can have a direct impact on their sports performance (Andersen, 2011, Su and Reeve, 2011, Bell et al., 2013 and Gucciardi, 2017). More specifically, athletes with high levels of mental toughness are in a greater risk of jeopardising their injury recovery process by ignoring possible pain, not following recommended rehabilitation process, attempting to pursue their goals and coming back to practice and the competition before injury fully heals which for result can have poor sports performance and possible new injuries (Andersen, 2011,Su and Reeve, 2011, Bell et al., 2013 and Gucciardi, 2017). Although extensive researches have been carried out on mental toughness and its relation to sports performance,one major drawback is that all studies used questionnaires, interviews or some similar sort of self-reported measures approach (Wright, 2017).Perhaps the most serious disadvantages of this method are facts that samples may lie due to social desirability or that samples can give no-valid answers due to differences in understanding and interpretation (Wright, 2017). Additionally, there is no way that researchers can tell how truthful and thoughtful sample have had been in responding (Wright, 2017). However, although self-report measures approach is perhaps the most serious disadvantage of existing literature made on mental toughness and its relationship with sports performance, in the same way, there are no other methods available to assess mental toughness levels (Gucciardi, 4
Hanton and Mallett, 2012). Therefore, self-report measures approaches are the most logical assessment tolls (Gucciardi, Hanton and Mallett, 2012). 1.2 Aim and objectives This systematic review aims to explore the relationship between mental toughness and sports performance in professional athletes.The specific objective of this systematic review was:-To explore which psychological elements are necessary for an athlete to be mentally tough. - To explore the importance of developing and maintaining mental toughness levels regarding sports performance.-To explore differences in mental toughness levels between the level of competition.-To explore the effects of mental toughness levels on sports performance and outcome.2.0 Literature review It is now well established from a variety of studies thatmental toughness is one of the crucial psychological factors for success in elite sport (Golby and Sherad, 2004, Bull et al., 2005, Jones, Hanton and Connaughton, 2007, Gucciardi, Gordan and Dimmock, 2008, Nicholls et al., 2008, Crust and Azadi, 2010, Chen and Cheesman, 2013, Gucciardi, 2017 and Meggs and Chen, 2018).Several studies have examined the effects of higher and lower levels of mental toughness, their positive and negative effects on sports performance (Connaughton et al., 2008, Chen andCheesman, 2013, Diment, 2014, Mahoney et al., 2014 and Jones and Parker, 2019). Results suggest that higher levels of mental toughness will separate elite athletes and successful performance versus athletes with lower levels of mental toughness performance (Connaughton et al., 2008, Chen and Cheesman, 2013, Diment, 2014 and Mahoney et al., 2014) whereby the study by Jones and Parker (2019) suggests that mental toughness levels and sports performance are unrelated. Similarly to the studies by Connaughton et al. (2008), Chen and Cheesman (2013), Diment (2014), Mahoney et al. (2014) and Jones and Parker (2019), the study by Slimani et al. (2015) examined the relationship between mental toughness and power test performances and shown that mental toughness has a direct impact on power performance. 5
On the other hand, the study by Raudsepp and Vink (2018) tested the relationship between sport-specific exercises and mental toughness and shown higher mental toughness levels when more hours were invested in sport-specific exercises.In contrast to the study by Raudsepp and Vink (2018), which has been explored a physiological relationship with mental toughness, the studies by Cowden et al. (2018) and Vaughan et al. (2018) researched psychological resources necessary for achieving peak performance in sport and their relationship with mental toughness. Data suggests that personalstandards and self-determination are positively related to mental toughness. However, on the other hand, concerns over mistakes and non-self-determination are negatively related to mental toughness.Similarly, several studies have postulated a convergence between mental toughness and psychological performance strategies such as self-talk, emotional control, and relaxation strategies (Golby and Sherad, 2004, Bull et al., 2005, Jones, Hanton and Connaughton, 2007, Nicholls et al., 2008 and Crust and Azadi, 2010). The studies by Golby and Sherad (2004), Bull et al. (2005), Jones, Hanton and Connaughton (2007), Nicholls et al. (2008) and Crust and Azadi (2010) reported that psychological performance strategies are positively related with mental toughness. Results suggest that athletes with high levels of mental toughness are more consistent in remaining focused and determined. More specifically, mentally tough athletes cope better with the demands of the sport such as training, competition, outcome, and lifestyle, which allows them to have better sports performance.In the same way, the study by Meggs and Chen (2018) investigated the relationship between sport's performance failure and Mental toughness. The study had a sampling of 80 high-level swimmers who experienced sports outcome failure in the previous four weeks. Evidence suggests that athletes with high levels of mental toughness are more likely to explain sport's performance failure as being a result of controllable factors.The study by Buhrow et al. (2017) offers probably the most comprehensive empirical analysisof the relationship between mental toughness, early age sport specialisation, and gender. Data suggests that there is no significant difference in those who specialise early in comparison to those who did not. Similarly, there was no significant difference in mental toughness levels between males and females.6
On the other hand, the study by Gerber et al. (2018) examines the importance of mental toughness in young elite athlete's careers when they are exposed to high-stress levels. Researchers attempted to evaluate the possible interaction of mental toughness on the burnout and depressive symptoms in young elite athletes. The results of this study indicate that athletes with higher levels of mental toughness reported significantly fewer health issues when they were exposed to highs stress levels, in comparison to those with lower mental toughness levels. In contrast, the study by Crust (2009) reported that there is no relationship between mental toughness and the ability of athletes to control emotions under stressful situations. This is an important finding because it shows that athletes with high levels of mental toughness do not perform better because they are able to control emotions under stressful situations in competition, compared to athletes with lower levels of mental toughness.3.0 Methods3.1 Eligibility criteriaIn November 2019, studies investigating the relationship between mental toughness and sports performance were searched. More specifically, the focus was on the relationship between mental toughness and sports performance and outcome in amateur, semi-pro, and professional athletes with no restriction on gender, age, or sport. A comprehensive systematic literature search was restricted on only journals with date cut from January 2004 to November2019, written in English.3.2 Information sources and searchFour different search engines databases were used to find the appropriate journals: U Search (Electronic Library of University College Birmingham) Pub Med, Sport Discus, and Google Scholar. In order to proceed to a strategic search, the advanced search strategies have been used. The following terms were used: 'mental toughness in sport'. U Search (Electronic Library of University College Birmingham) found 7797 results. In order to find reliable sources of information, research was narrowed only on academic journals. U Search found 3925 academic journals. To reduce the number of articles and to get into a more specific search, the logical Boolean operator 'AND' and 'NOT' have been used. New terms have been added to the search: ‘AND sports performance, ‘AND enhance,' 'AND elite sport,' 'AND professional athletes,' 'NOT higher education,' 'NOT students'. Electronic Library of 7
University College Birmingham found 228 academic journals whereby Sport Discus found 296 academic journals. 3.3 Study selection and Data collection process Two hundred twenty-eight academic journals found by Electronic Library of University College Birmingham search engine and 296 academic journals found by Sport Discus werescreened by title. After duplicates have had been removed, 173 academic journals were found.Journals which in the title did not have keywords: 'mental toughness – sport’, ‘mental toughness – enhance’, mental toughness – elite’, ‘mental toughness – athletes’, ‘mental toughness – performance’, mental toughness – physical’ were excluded. In the same way, journals, which in the title have: 'Coach's influence’, ‘coach's importance’, ‘coach's development’ and ‘comparison of different measures approach’ were excluded which altogether narrowed number of journals to 62. Additionally, academic journals with no access to the full text, or journals which are not written in English were excluded, which narrowed numbers of journals to 41. The rest of the journals were read fully or by abstract in order to assess their suitability for the systematic review. Articles were considered suitable for the study if researchers investigated: mental toughness in relation to sports performance or outcome, participants were amateur, semi-pro or professional athletes, mental toughness and sport-specific practice and their relationship with sports performance, positive and negative effects of mental toughness on sports performance, burnout or depression symptoms in relationship with sports performance and mental toughness. After the studies were screened by reading the abstract or full text, 18 studies have had been found to be suitable for the current study and PICO table was done. The search process is presented, trough the PRISMA flow diagram in the result section 4.1 (Moher et al., 2009). PICO table is presented in Table 1,result section.3.4 Risk of bias assessment methodTo identify which studies are suitable and reliable for the current study, a critical appraisal tool (CASP) has been used (Young and Solomon, 2009, Hannes, Lockwood and Pearson, 2010, and Nadelson and Nadelson, 2014). Critical appraisal is a systematic process used to identify the pros and cons of a research article in order to assess the reliability and usefulness of study findings (Young and Solomon, 2009, Hannes, Lockwood and Pearson, 2010, and Nadelson and Nadelson, 2014). To identify the most relevant high-quality studies, the 10-step guide has been used (Young and Solomon, 2009, Hannes, Lockwood and Pearson, 2010, and Nadelson and Nadelson, 2014). CASP is presented in Table 2, appendix section. 8
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