Sense of personal responsibility for life circumstances and regulation of emotions.  But ask someone what they mean by mental toughness, and you are bound to hear a fuzzy description that might include just about any positive psychological attribute imaginable. And this, in many ways, is the central idea of mental toughness – that it facilitates an adaptive rather than a maladaptive response to challenging circumstances. When speaking of mental toughness people utter words like dominant, stoic, unaffected, or robotic.  What emerges is a two-factor conceptualization in which mental toughness is considered a combination of robust self-confidence and resilience. Mental health (wellbeing) is starting to be considered an important part of sporting excellence. Specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, This definition has been criticized for its emphasis on being “better than opponents” and thus describing a relative rather than an absolute notion of mental toughness.  Nevertheless, it set the stage for nearly two decades of research during which,  numerous alternative definitions have been put forward, each promising to be the one that unites the field. Â, One thing that all research groups seem to agree on is that mental toughness comprises a number of interrelated psychological factors that help an individualÂ, deal effectively with challenges, stressors, and pressure”Â,  a durable conviction in one’s ability to succeed,  an ability to recover quickly following adversity, defeat, or injury, In a 2017 review of 19 quantitative studies from 2007-2016 relating mental toughness to competitive standard, performance, and achievement, Richard Cowden found that the results collectivelyÂ, “support the commonly held belief that mentally tougher athletes tend to be more successful”, “88% of relevant studies found athletes with higher levels of mental toughness tend to achieve more or perform better.”, Qualitative studies have provided additional support for the role of mental toughness in performance, particularly during critical moments.  For example, choke-prone elite golfers identified, low mental toughness as an important feature of their choking episodesÂ, mental toughness not only reduces susceptibility to choking, but also increases the odds of recovering optimal performance after a choke has occurredÂ, romanticized ideal that reinforces the pathologically macho culture of competitive sportÂ, In this article, I reviewed several attempts by researchers to bring scientific rigor to the mental toughness concept. Here within this final section, let’s break down the DNA of mentally tough people. Many of these traits are highly sought after, however, they are often showcased to hide underlying feelings of fear, anxiety, or uncertainty. A mentally tough individual sees challenge and adversity as an opportunity and not a threat, and has the confidence and positive approach to take what comes in their stride (Strycharczyk, 2015). Let’s break that down. The definition of grit almost perfectly describes qualities every successful person possesses, because mental toughness builds the foundations for long-term success. The result was their 4 C model of mental toughness: Control: Sense of personal responsibility for life circumstances and regulation of emotions. If you are willing to suspend your (well-placed) skepticism for a moment and disregard the unstable foundation upon which mental toughness research rests, we can explore the evidence for whether it (whatever “it” is) can be considered a useful construct for predicting differences in performance.  We will discuss the quantitative (statistical) and qualitative (descriptive) evidence separately.Â, In a 2017 review of 19 quantitative studies from 2007-2016 relating mental toughness to competitive standard, performance, and achievement, Richard Cowden found that the results collectively “support the commonly held belief that mentally tougher athletes tend to be more successful” as “88% of relevant studies found athletes with higher levels of mental toughness tend to achieve more or perform better.”Â, Qualitative studies have provided additional support for the role of mental toughness in performance, particularly during critical moments.  For example, choke-prone elite golfers identified low mental toughness as an important feature of their choking episodes  (Hill et al, 2010) and four applied sport psychologists with experience at the elite level agreed that mental toughness not only reduces susceptibility to choking, but also increases the odds of recovering optimal performance after a choke has occurred (Hill et al, 2009), Although these results suggest that perhaps there is a there there when it comes to mental toughness research, the whole enterprise has come under attack as a biased social construct that reeks of elitism and stereotypical masculinity.  Several studies have indeed found significant differences across gender and competitive status – with more accomplished male athletes tending to rate higher in mental toughness .  Some critics have gone as far as to argue that mental toughness is nothing more than a romanticized ideal that reinforces the pathologically macho culture of competitive sport (see Caddick & Ryall, 2012). Â. “Mentally tough” has become the go-to phrase to describe the successful athlete or performer. Commitment: Strong internal drive to succeed and relentless pursuit of goals. Laurence Gonzales, author of SURVIVING SURVIVAL: The … Connect With Your Purpose. One could write volumes and volumes of how to become mentally tough. Learn more.  Although each scale often comes with a persuasive discussion of the theoretical rationale for its development, none has achieved gold-standard status and all suffer from equivocal findings with respect to their psychometric properties (validity and reliability).  Accordingly, there is no real basis upon which to recommend one measure over any other. Toughness is defined as strong and durable. Deeply ingrained belief in one’s ability and comfort asserting oneself interpersonally. Yet another important unsettled debate involves the proverbial nature-nurture question: Are some people just born with more mental toughness or is it something that can be developed through training? If you think of it as a metaphor, resilience would be the mountain, while mental toughness … By having a well developed pre-, during and post-performance routine you steer clear of one of the most dangerous activities a performer can engage in: thinking! Although the different research groups cannot see eye to eye on a definitive collection of factors, there is substantial overlap on at least a couple of factors.  These are: robust self-confidence: a durable conviction in one’s ability to succeed, resilience: an ability to recover quickly following adversity, defeat, or injury. Most studies focusing around mental toughness have lacked methodological diversity and therefore longitudinal studies may benefit researchers who are trying to study mental toughness. This 2-factor model can be reconciled with the 4C’s above if control and commitment are considered subfactors of resilience while confidence and challenge are subsumed under robust self-confidence, as in the graphic below: Thus, if remembering all 4 components of the 4C model exceeds your working memory capacity, you can simplify it down to only two! Becoming mentally tough doesn’t happen overnight. Mentally tough individuals tend to be sociable and outgoing; as they are able to remain calm and relaxed, they are competitive in many situations and have lower anxiety levels than others. “...they are capable…” Your effort has nothing to do with the competition. The first scientifically grounded attempt at defining and measuring mental toughness was provided by Clough, Earle, and Sewell (2002).  From an empirical perspective, this “everything but the kitchen sink” notion is problematic because it does not allow for standardization and scientific analysis. They look at their failures and mistakes as lessons to be learned from and opportunities for growth. What Is This Thing Called Mental Toughness? In most sports the next play or the next move is the same no matter if it’s at practice or in the last few minutes of the championship game. Mentally tough people don’t let the thoughts and opinions of others define the way they experience situations; instead, they let themselves be the judge of how they feel and how they act. He defines mental toughness as “an individual’s propensity to manage the demands of environmental stressors, ranging from an absolute resilience to extreme vulnerability” (Fletcher & Fletcher, 2005; p. 158; Fletcher, 2005; p. 1246). One thing that all research groups seem to agree on is that mental toughness comprises a number of interrelated psychological factors that help an individual “deal effectively with challenges, stressors, and pressure” (Clough & Strycharczyk, 2012). People who are mentally tough develop good habits, and then they stick with them. Top-tier athletes know that mental toughness training is a part of their great athletic achievements. What is this Thing Called Mental Toughness? In Webster’s Dictionary, mental is defined as relating to the mind. These are the things that people do to make sure that they toughen themselves up mentally. For … Â, In my next article, I will address this question by doing what I always do –. The Beliefs of a Mentally Tough … It's called “Jeet Kune Do” and it states: “Adapt what is useful, reject what is not, and add what is specifically your own.”. They sleep better, show better attendance, are more engaged in the classroom and have higher aspirations. Mentally tough people are flexible and are constantly adapting. Contact Kathy A. Feinstein a certified Sports Performance Consultant in Naples, Florida. The widespread use of the 4C model is due in large part to the efforts of its developers in extending its scope of application beyond sports and into the domains of education, business, and the military. Â. In the sports setting, several research groups have adopted a more “subjective” approach to defining mental toughness, choosing to rely on the collective wisdom of elite athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists. The Strycharczyk and Clough definition of mental toughness, and the MTQ 4C’s framework that supports it, focuses on resilience and confidence and their related attributes that enable you to perform at your best, whatever the circumstances. The only difference is the audience. Mental Toughness describes the capacity of an individual to deal effectively with stressors, pressures and challenges, and perform to the best of their ability, irrespective of the circumstances in … Specifically, let’s take a look at core beliefs, habits and the mindset that mentally tough people cultivate that helps them get through life’s toughest challenges.  They have an opportunity mindset, meaning that they tend to view pressure situations as exciting opportunities rather than debilitating threats. A … These are the strategies I teach. In this article, I reviewed several attempts by researchers to bring scientific rigor to the mental toughness concept. Strong internal drive to succeed and relentless pursuit of goals. A mentally tough athlete treats practice and pre-season competitions with the same intensity as league and post-season games. Here within this final section, let ’ s Dictionary, mental is defined differently on. 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