Validation of the Mental Toughness Measure of Athletes and Non-athletes with the Structural Equation Model

¹ High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saïd, University of Manouba, Manouba, Tunisia.
² Research group on evaluation and development of physical activity and health skills (GRÉDCAPS)’ Sudbury ( Ontario), Canada.
³ Research Laboratory “Sports Performance Optimization” National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (CNMSS), Tunis, Tunisia.
⁴ School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences, Laurentian University, Sudbury (Ontario) Canada.
⁵ Clinical Psychology Laboratory Intersubjectivity and Culture.
⁶ Research Unit « Sport performance & health ».
⁷ Exercise Physiology and Physiopathology: from Integrated to Molecular «Biology, Medicine and Health» (Code: LR19ES09).

^* Corresponding author: issameddinebenchelbi@ISSEPKS.u-manouba.tn

Abstract

The use of structural equation models (SEM) in scientific research perform a promising methodological and empirical direction to validate the measurement of psychological constructs. The aim of this paper is to validate the measurement of mental toughness of athletes and non-athletes with SEM. The sample consisted of 853 Tunisian participants (444 males and 409 females; 409 athletes and 444 non-athletes), aged 14 to 27 years (M=20.38 SD=4.12). The sample completed the Arabic translated questionnaire of Clough, Earle [1] which measures six components of their mental toughness. The SEM approved a good model fit (χ^²=1146.33; df =1065; CFI=.93; SRMR=.063; RMSEA=.009) which allows for a valid Arabic-speaking measure of the six components of mental toughness.