Mental toughness: state or trait? Context and sporting performance in rugby union, a longitudinal study

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v61.108958

Keywords:

mentally tough, sports psychology, sporting success

Abstract

Mental toughness is a concept that has been considered a critical feature of sporting success. However, there are still conceptual issues related to its traitness and its relationship with sporting performance that remain unresolved. Consequently, the objective of this research is to contrast empirically whether the eventual changes in MT and its relationships with competition phases and sporting performance can sustain the notion of MT as a state or a trait. A longitudinal study included 12 male Chilean rugby players, aged 18-33 years, which regularly competed at the highest national level. The results indicated that there are no significant differences in mental toughness between the four measurements taken in the study and that the competitive phase did not predict mental toughness properties enduring across contexts and time. In addition, the data showed that mental toughness is an important predictor of relevant behavioural variables and sporting performance.

Author Biographies

Juan Pablo Guzmán-Muzante , Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Chile

Psicólogo bilingüe (inglés – español) con más de 14 años de experiencia laboral docente en universidades privadas y estatales.
Doctor en Ciencias del Deporte de la Universidade do Porto, con sólidos conocimientos en Psicología del Deporte, Metodología de Investigación, Coaching, Trabajo en Equipo y Liderazgo en el ámbito deportivo.
Sobresale el dominio de diferentes estilos de liderazgo educativo y estrategias pedagógicas, para lograr cumplir objetivos de aprendizaje con un espectro de estudiantes heterogéneo (ej.: edad, género, nivel cultural, áreas de interés, carrera, etc.).
Se distingue por la experiencia de trabajo aplicado con deportistas de distintos niveles y deportes (ej.: deporte formativo, recreativo, competitivo, disciplinas individuales y colectivas, etc.).
Destaca la realización de investigaciones en temáticas relevantes e innovadoras en el ámbito de la Psicología del Deporte (ej.: fortaleza mental, mindfulness, etc.) con metodologías cualitativas, cuantitativas y mixtas.
Sobresale la actitud y aptitud para aprender constantemente contenidos y herramientas metodológicas que permitan estar actualizado y la mejora continua del propio trabajo.

Gonzalo Riquelme-Ortíz , Escuela de Terapia ocupacional, Facultad de Odontología y Ciencias de la rehabilitación, Universidad San Sebastián, Concepción

Psicólogo, Mg. Psicología Social Mención Metodología de la Investigación Social.

Llevo 12 años de carrera mayormente como académico jornada completa, media jornada y part-time en distintas universidades de la séptima y octava región. En ellas he desarrollado docencia en las áreas de metodología de la investigación, análisis de datos, psicología organizacional, desarrollo de habilidades sociales y seminarios de grado.
He guiado cerca de 130 tesis, adjudicado 2 fondos de investigación y 1 en innovación docente. También he ocupado cargos de gestión académica asociada a procesos de titulación. He hecho consultorías a personas e instituciones en la línea de diagnóstico organizacional.

Angela Urrea-Cuéllar , Universidad de San Buenaventura, Cali

Psicóloga, Máster en Psicología de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, Doctora en Comportamiento Humano en Contextos Deportivos, de Ejercicio y Actividad Física, miembro del Colegio Colombiano de Psicólogos (COLPSIC) y de la Asociación Colombiana de Facultad de Psicología (ASCOFAPSI), con estudios y experiencia laboral de 16 años, en el campo de la Psicología de la actividad física y deporte, competente, dinámica, ética y apasiona en la transmisión de conocimiento. Docente investigadora.

Alicia E. Romero Carrasco

Founder and CEO of ASCIENDE, a non-profit organization with a demonstrated history of working in the sports field.

Strong business development professional. Expert in research, multi-cultural and Hispanic population and genders, academic teaching, coaching, and Counseling with a Post Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Sports Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity from University of Balearic Islands, Spain, and University of Northern Colorado, CO, USA.

Antonio Manuel Fonseca , CIFI2D, Faculty of Sport, University of Porto, Portugal

Professor Catedrático e Diretor na FADEUP, Universidade do Porto

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Published

2024-12-01

How to Cite

Guzmán-Muzante, J. P., Riquelme-Ortíz, G., Urrea-Cuéllar, A., Romero Carrasco, A. E., & Fonseca, A. M. (2024). Mental toughness: state or trait? Context and sporting performance in rugby union, a longitudinal study. Retos, 61, 988–995. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v61.108958

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Vol. 61 (2024)

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Original Research Article

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