Authenticity and Mental Toughness in Athletes: An Empirical Model

<p>The study explores the role of personal authenticity in the psychological training of athletes, focusing on its relationship with intrinsic motivation, mental skills &mdash; including stress resilience &mdash; and mental toughness. Drawing on data from 355 male athletes (...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: K.A. Bochaver, S.I. Reznichenko, D.V. Bondarev
Format: Article
Language:Russian
Published: Moscow State University of Psychology and Education 2023-12-01
Series:Экспериментальная психология
Online Access:https://psyjournals.ru/en/journals/exppsy/archive/2023_n4/Bochaver_et_al
Description
Summary:<p>The study explores the role of personal authenticity in the psychological training of athletes, focusing on its relationship with intrinsic motivation, mental skills &mdash; including stress resilience &mdash; and mental toughness. Drawing on data from 355 male athletes (18-26 years) across various sports, standardized tools like the Moscow Authenticity Scale, Mental Strength Scale, Sports Motivation Scale, Ottawa Mental Skills Test, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were employed. Path regression analysis revealed an empirical model that showcases how authenticity linked directly and indirectly to mental toughness through fostering intrinsic motives like self-development, enjoyment of sports, and resilience against stress. While direct contributions of authenticity to mental toughness are modest, its cumulative impact, factoring in mediating effects, is substantial. Notably, authenticity holds more weight for less experienced athletes in developing mental skills and toughness. These findings offer valuable insights for psychologists focused on the psychological training of athletes, especially in managing mental processes crucial for sport performance.</p>
ISSN:2072-7593
2311-7036