mental toughness Flashcards
what is mental toughness
“MT can be defined as a state-like psychological resource that is purposeful, flexible, and efficient in nature for the enactment and maintenance of goal-directed pursuits”
what evidance shows the link between mental toughness and outcomes
Positive relationships between MT and performance outcomes such as race times in cross- country running (Mahoney et al., 2014).
- The ability to withstand stress, persevere, maintain focus, and make effective decisions under pressure is indicative of MT (Coulter et al., 2010).
- Studies have highlighted outcomes such as goal progress or attainment (Gucciardi et al., 2015) and transitions to higher levels of performance to be underpinned by perseverance and MT.
mental toughness and altitude study
(Crust, Swann, Allen-Collinson, 2016)
Aim: explore the lived experiences of mentally tough high-altitude mountaineers, focusing on how MT influences DM, and how participants’ cognitions and behaviours play out in a dangerous activity.
Participants
- Fourteen high-altitude mountaineers participated in the study, with the gender ratio of ten men to four women consistent with participation rates in extreme endurance sports.
- Participants reported climbing in the Himalaya for a minimum of six years with some reporting over 30 years climbing 8000m mountains.
Interviews
- Employed a phenomenological approach. Seeking rich in-depth experiences. - Completed MTQ48 to ascertain whether they were mentally tough.
- Interviews lasted between 48 and 93 minutes 13 (M = 73 min.)
Key themes found
- Accepting risk
- Managing the risk
- Calculated risk and rewards
- Pushing hard without sensing danger - Sacrificing goals to help others.
Discussion points
* While MT is evidently important to success in mountaineering, it is possible that high MT,alongside other situational factors, might predispose some mountaineers to persist too long and take undue risks.
- Mountaineers were prepared to take calculated risks, although there was clear evidence of risk-management and taking preventative actions to reduce risk rather than merely ignoring it. Bearing in mind these participants survived to tell the tale!
coping mechanisms of mental toughness
Training Acclimatization- Not only does our body need to adapt, but we need that exposure of uncomfortable conditions.
Self-Awareness- Individuals need to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, particularly under pressure. Could involve NA.
Risk Management- Strategy in place to heed safety guidance. Recognize individuals response to potential danger, what is and what is not a serious risk
what is the 4’c model
Framework used to understand mental toughness, particularly in sports psychology. It outlines four components that contribute to mental toughness
what are the 4 components of the 4cs model
control, challange, commitment, confidence
control - 4cs model
the ability to handle lots of things at once and remain influentail rather than controlled
challange - 4cs model
being able to perceive potential threats as oppurutnies for personal growth and thriving in constantly challenging enviroments
confidence - 4cs model
the ability to maintain self belif in spite of setbacks and not to be intimidated by opponents
influences that develop an athletes mental toughness
genetic influences, enviromental influences, skills training approach
genetic influences
Inheritance
- Mental toughness can be natural.
- While personality traits are strongly influenced by genetics, also subject to developmental processes particularly through
environmental processes.
Twin studies
- (Horsburgh,schermer, veselka & Vernon 2009) Twins complete a mental toughness questionnaire and found that likemost other personality traits, mental toughness had a strong genetic component but was also influenced by environmental factors (interactions with others)
fMRI
- (clough 2010) Brain structure between tough individuals
- Reported a positive correlation between higher mental toughness score and more grey matter tissue volume in the right
frontal lobe
environmental influences
Parent / family
- Being supportive and instilling a hard work ethnic and childhood background where seen as crucial
- Research has found the importance of parental influence
- (Van Yperen 2009) identified psychological factors that predicted career success in professional soccer.
Coaches
- Coaches must first educate themselves to fully understand, implement and harmonize their understanding of mental
toughness with there athletes
o They must also work on there own mental toughness
- Athletes should also fully understand and harmonize their perception of MT with their coaches. This provides support and highlights the demand for coach-athlete educational MT programming in collaboration with the work of trained professionals in performance psychology and enhancement (olivian et al 2023)
- Coaches play a vital role in shaping athletes sporting attitudes, competence and performance
- Developing a “coaching philosophy”- modelling desired behaviours, inclusion of outside sport activities and incorporating physical and mental breaks throughout the season
o Plays an essential role in the athletes development of mental toughness and help shapes the culture of the team
Training given….
- Set training as being competitive or goal directive – athletes should be challenged regularly in order to avoid settling into stagnant comfort zones
- Incorporate some form of psychological pressure or simulation training – including environments that are distracting or that create pressure and problem solving
skills training approach
-incorporate all 5 senses and include specific movements
- Introduce skill with simpler thig s and build onto complex situations
Goal setting
- SMART goals
- Performance and process goals – things athletes do everyday, every practice every competition as stepping stones to reach the outcome goal
Strength based approaches
- Focusing on an Individuals strength and not there deficits
- This means that a strength-based approach provides a useful platform to athletes, as it is focused on optimisation and peak performance (Kaiser & White, 2009)
- The approach assists people to optimally utilise the resources available to them and to translate their inherent
capabilities into desirable end results (Stander et al., 2014). A strength-based approach is focused on potential and thus capitalises on the virtues of the athlete (Linley et al., 2006).
Study for imagery training
STUDY Wakefield C.J 2009)
Studies have demonstrated that imagery training for 3–7 weeks , at least once a day or twice a week has the ability to improve athletic cognition and motivation, reduce negative emotions in competition , stabilize and improve athletic performance , and have a predictive effect on final athletic performance.
developmental stratergy for challange
increase familarity with change
