Mental Toughness and Athletic Performance: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

This investigation employed meta-analysis techniques to examine the relationship between mental toughness and athletic performance. A total of 76 studies were systematically analyzed with 470 correlation coefficients calculated to determine the mean effect. Fifty-five subject and study variables (age, gender, sport, psychometric instrument, and theoretical definition, etc.) were coded for each correlation to assess changes in the magnitude according to these key characteristics noted within the literature. Overall, the total average correlation produced a small effect size of r =.218. However, the effect size varied significantly depending on the definition, measurement, quality of the investigation, methodology, and intervention. Significant age, gender, and sport differences were also uncovered. Overwhelming evidence suggests mental toughness results in significantly greater self-referenced improvement than performance against a competitor. Training and the belief in training, or training-efficacy, is theorized to be the major mechanism underlying self-improvement producing greater mental toughness and cumulative athletic success.