European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science ISSN: 2501 - 1235 ISSN-L: 2501 - 1235 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/edu Volume 3 │Issue 11 │2017 doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1041058 THE ROLE OF ATHLETIC IDENTITY IN PREDICTION OF ATHLETES’ MENTAL TOUGHNESSi Atahan Altıntaş, Selen Kelecekii ”aşkent University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Sport Sciences, Turkey Abstract: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of athletic identity as a predictor of mental toughness in male and female athletes. Method: Eighty six female (Mage=25.33±4.35) and 105 male (Mage=24.66±3.66), totally 191 athletes (Mage=24.96±3.99) voluntarily participated in this study. The Athletic Identity Questionnaire (AIQ) and The Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire were administered to all participants. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis. Results: Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis revealed that competence and encouragement by friends (R=0.51; R2=0.26; p<.05) subscales of athletic identity were significant predictors of mental toughness of athletes. Analysis also indicated that importance and appearance (R=0.51; R2=0.26; p<.05) subscales of athletic identity were predictor of mental toughness of female athletes. Beside this, competence and encouragement by friends (R=0.54; R2=0.29; p<.01) subscales of athletic identity were predictor of mental toughness of male athletes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that, female and male athletes’ athletic identities plays a significant role in their mental toughness. In other words, spending effort for being a team, increasing the quality of training and physical appearance is important for female athletes to overcome challenges. On the other hand, male athletes give more attention to motor capacity, athletic competence and friends’ encouragement to get over the difficulties. Keywords: athletes, athletic identity, mental toughness LE R4LE DE L’IDENTITÉ “THLÉTIQUE D“NS L’ÉV“LU“TION DE L“ RÉSIST“NCE MENT“LE DES ATHLÈTES i Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved. © 2015 – 2017 Open Access Publishing Group 262 “tahan “ltıntaşa, Selen Keleceka THE ROLE OF “THLETIC IDENTITY IN PREDICTION OF “THLETES’ MENT“L TOUGHNESS Le résumé: Les objectifs: L’objectif de cette étude est de faire une recherche sur l’identité athlétique dans le cadre de l’évaluation de la résistance mentale chez les femmes et les hommes athlètes. La méthode: Au total 191 athlètes (Mage=24.96±3.99) dont 86 femmes (Mage=25.33±4.35) et 105 hommes (Mage=24.66±3.66), ont participé volontairement à cette recherche. L’Enquête sur l’Identité athlétique EI“ et l’Enquête sur la Résistance mentale sportive ont été pratiqués aux participants. Les données obtenues ont été analysées en utilisant les statistiques descriptifs et la technique de régression multiple pas à pas (Stepwise Multiple Regression). Le résultat: l’analyse de régression multiple pas à pas a révélé que la compétence et l’encouragement des amis, étant les souséchelles de l’identité athlétique, sont des facteurs importants de la résistance mentale (R=0.51 ; R2=0.26 p<.05). L’analyse a également démontré que l’importance et l’apparence étant les sous-échelles de l’identité athlétique chez les femmes R= . ; R =0.26 ; p<.05) constituent les indicateurs de la résistance mentale. De plus, la 2 compétence et l’encouragement des amis étant les sous-échelles de l’identité athlétique (R=0.54 ; R2=0.29 ; p<.01) constituent les indicateurs de la résistance mentale chez les hommes. Les mots-clés : les athlètes, l’identité athlétique, la resistance mental 1. Introduction In recent years with researchers’ interest, growing body of research has begun to explore the components of athletic performance. This literature contains different numerous constructs relating to performance such as motivational climate (Hodge, Henry & Smith, 2014), personality (Raglin, 2001), self-concept perceptions (Marsh & Perry, 2005), anxiety (Raglin, 2001; Woodman & Hardy, 2003), athletic identity (Ahmadabadi, Shojaei & Daneshfar, 2014) and mental toughness (Gucciardi & Jones, 2012). Especially, athletic identity and mental toughness have been studied in sport psychology literature recently (Crust & Clough, 2011; Nicholls, Polman, Levy & Backhouse, 2009). According to Erikson (1968), identity is a process that consolidates elements of the personality and connects individual and society. Role-identities are defined in part by the social structure and in part by the individual, and when taken together they are said to represent the person see Callero, . “n identity has characterized as a self-understanding, self-objectification or integration of information about the self see “nderson, . In sport psychology literature, the term athletic identity is used rather than identity . “nderson tried to put some athletic European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 11 │ 2017 263 “tahan “ltıntaşa, Selen Keleceka THE ROLE OF “THLETIC IDENTITY IN PREDICTION OF “THLETES’ MENT“L TOUGHNESS components together in his research. It is related with the self, physical-self which includes sport/exercise specific concepts such as strength, how people see themselves about sport/exercise situations and social roles. Athletic identity refers to the degree to which people with the athlete role (see Martin, Eklund & Adams-Mushett, 1997) or it has been identified as the extent to which an individual relates to the role of an athlete (see Green & Weinberg, 2001). According to Anderson (2004), athletic identity was conceptualized as a relatively stable but potentially changeable identity describing an attribute that all people possess to varying degrees. According to Martin, Eklund and Adams-Mushett (1997) athletic identity is a relevant psychological construct to examine because of the potentially important psychological, social, and behavioral ramifications of an athletic identity. An individual with a strong athletic identity has a self-schema built upon being an athlete and processes information from an athletic perspective (Martin, Adams-Mushett & Smith, 1995). Researchers tried to determine the athletic identity with different measurement tools. The Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS), The Athletic Identity Questionnaire (AIQ) and Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS) are used to measure the athletic identity. Previous studies found the athletic identity was related with children’s and adolescent’s physical activity participation (Anderson, Masse, Zhang, Coleman & Chang, 2009), drinking habits (Grossbard, Geisner, Mastroleo, Kilmer, Turrisi & Larimer, 2009), disordered eating (Gapin & Petruzzello, 2011), goal orientations and moral orientations (Proios, 2013), passion and burnout Martin & Horn, , athletes’ retirement plans Martin, Fogarty & Albion, 2014), and mental toughness (Petrie, Deiters & Harmison, 2014). Like athletic identity, mental toughness has become an interesting subject for researchers and coaches. It accepted as an important variable in athletes’ persistence and stability in performance. Researchers and theorists discussed what mental toughness is, and they have defined it in different terms. These researchers/theorists underline some basic characteristics of mental toughness. They defined mental toughness as, coping effectively with pressure and adversity so that remains little affected, recovering or rebounding from setbacks and failures as a result of increased determination to succeed, persisting or refusing to quit, being competitive with self and with others, being insensitive or resilient, having unshakeable self-belief in controlling one’s own destiny, thriving on pressure and possessing superior mental skills see Crust, 2007). Researchers emphasized the significant of mental toughness. Some researchers think mental toughness is a psychological requirement (see Golby and Sheard, 2004) to being an elite athlete. For example, while Horsburgh, Schermer, Veselka and Vernon mentioned about the mental toughness’ importance and necessity for athletic performance and explain the C Model control, commitment and challenge, confidence of Mental Toughness ; other researchers stated that mentally European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 11 │ 2017 264 “tahan “ltıntaşa, Selen Keleceka THE ROLE OF “THLETIC IDENTITY IN PREDICTION OF “THLETES’ MENT“L TOUGHNESS tough athletes are more successful in rehabilitation in sport injuries (Levy, Polman, Clough, Marchant & Earlei, 2006), coping with stress more effectively (Kaiseler, Polman & Nicholls, 2009), emotionally & ideationally stable, relax and optimist (Nicholls, Polman, Levy & Backhouse, 2008). In sport environments, mental toughness is found related with performance antecedents such as using problem or approach coping strategies (Nicholls, Polman, Levy & Backhouse, 2008), using psychological strategies (Crust & Azadi, 2010), sporting experience (Nicholls, Polman, Levy & Backhouse, 2009), cultural differences (Thelwell, Such, Weston, Such & Greenlees, 2010), positive treat appraisals, positive behaviors and better coping ability injured athletes’ Levy, Polman, Clough, Marchant & Earle, 2006). Athletic identity and mental toughness are fundamental factors for athletes’ performance in competitive sports. Athletic identity also, as one of the important variables in athletic career process and a predictor of athletes’ general attitudes toward sport specific situations has an influence on mental toughness. Thus, the present study may have contributed to the athletic identity and mental toughness literature by examining the possible influence of athletic identity on the mental toughness in sport environment. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of athletic identity in athletes’ mental toughness. The study was also aimed to investigate whether male and female athletes’ athletic identities are predicting their mental toughness’ differently or not. In line with the two main aims of this study, it was hypothesized that athletic identity would be positively related with mental toughness and it would differ between male and female athletes’ athletic identities predicting their mental toughness. For viewing / downloading the full article, please access the following link: https://oapub.org/edu/index.php/ejep/article/view/1155 . European Journal of Physical Education and Sport Science - Volume 3 │ Issue 11 │ 2017 265