Mental Strength: what it is and how it is evaluated

Mental Strength, Endurance or Tenacity (FM) has been characterized by the professor and his colleagues at the University of Huddersfield, by the interrelation of four independent components, called “The 4Cs model” of Mental Resistance. These components are:

  1. Control (life and emotion): Includes emotion regulation and stress coping mechanisms. Tendency to feel and act as if one is influential and keep anxieties under control.
  2. Commitment: the tendency to become deeply involved in achieving goals despite the difficulties that arise.
  3. Challenge: The tendency to view potential threats as opportunities for self-development and continued effort in changing environments.
  4. Confidence (skills and interpersonal): the belief that one is truly a worthwhile person despite setbacks and the ability to push oneself forward in social settings.

Psychometric evaluations

The 18-item Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ-18) is an abbreviated assessment of mental toughness based on the MTQ-48, which consists of 48 items, both based on the four components of FM.

Recently, a research team led by presented a detailed analysis of an even shorter and simplified 10-item Mental Toughness Questionnaire called “MTQ-10” . According to Dagnall, the latter is an improvement on the freely available MTQ-18.

“The MTQ-10 will allow researchers to easily assess temporal stability, investigate the effect of intervening factors (i.e., training), and test FM levels at multiple time points and settings,” the authors said.

The MTQ-10 is based on a selection of the greatest sum of items in each of the “4C” dimensions. All MTQ questionnaires use a five-point Likert scale. The overall score provides a psychometric assessment of mental toughness.

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MTQ-10 items:

  1. Even when I’m under considerable pressure, I usually stay calm.
  2. I tend to worry about things long before they happen.
  3. I usually find it difficult to muster enthusiasm for the tasks I have to do.
  4. I generally deal well with any problems that occur.
  5. I generally feel that I am a worthwhile person.
  6. “I don’t know where to start” is a feeling I usually have when presented with several things to do at once.
  7. When I make mistakes, I usually let them bother me for days afterwards.
  8. I generally feel in control.
  9. I can usually react quickly when something unexpected happens.
  10. I generally look at the positive side of life.

How would you respond to each of these 10 items using the Likert scale method? 1) Strongly disagree, 2) Disagree, 3) Neither agree nor disagree, 4) Agree or 5) Strongly agree. Referring to the practical application of these answers, Dagnall explained: “we see FM as a general construct and use the 4C framework for reflection and development. At the core of this is an emphasis on positivity (i.e. seeing barriers as obstacles, obstacles as challenges, etc.). The focus is on empowering people to adopt an internal locus of control, facilitating a sense of self-confidence and focusing on their self-efficacy. Obviously, this can vary between people. Therefore, the 4C framework is useful for examining potential strengths and weaknesses (areas of development).”

The authors speculate that FM is a “plastic” and remodelable personality trait, it is malleable. Scores from these psychometric assessments could help people strengthen their mental toughness. Interestingly, higher degrees of mental toughness have been linked to less depression and greater ability to cope with stress.

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“In this context, MTQ-10 measures provide rapid, accessible, and easy-to-interpret indices to assess FM levels in everyday situations (i.e., sports, educational, and occupational),” the authors conclude.

References:

Clough, P., Earle, K., & Sewell, D. (2002). Mental toughness: The concept and its measurement. Solutions in sport psychology, 32-43. Recovered from

Dagnall, N., Denovan, A., Papageorgiou, K.A., Clough, P.J., Parker, A., & Drinkwater, K.G. (2019). Psychometric Assessment of Shortened Mental Toughness Questionnaires (MTQ): Factor Structure of the MTQ-18 and the MTQ-10. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 193. https://doi.org/

Papageorgiou, K.A., Denovan, A., & Dagnall, N. (2019). The positive effect of narcissism on depressive symptoms through mental toughness: Narcissism may be a dark trait but it does help with seeing the world less gray. European Psychiatry: The Journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists, 55, 74-79. https://doi.org/

Papageorgiou, K.A., Gianniou, F.-M., Wilson, P., Moneta, G.B., Bilello, D., & Clough, P.J. (2019). The bright side of dark: Exploring the positive effect of narcissism on perceived stress through mental toughness. Personality and individual differences, 139, 116-124. https://doi.org/

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