The Effect of Mental Toughness of Individuals Doing Outdoor Sports on their Decision-Making Skills

The Effect of Mental Toughness of Individuals Doing Outdoor Sports on their Decision-Making Skills

This study intends to examine the impact of the mental toughness of athletes doing outdoor sports on their decision-makingskills. The study population is composed of 504 athletes doing outdoor sports in various disciplines in Turkey in 2017. Themental toughness in sports scale developed by Sheard et al. (29) and adapted to Turkish by Altıntaş and Bayar Koruç (1) andthe Melbourne Decision Making Scale I-II Scale developed by Mann et al. (35) and adapted to Turkish by Deniz (11) were used.The Independent Samples T test was used to analyze the data obtained as well as the One Way Analysis of Variance (One WayAnova) used in case of the existence of more than two groups and the correlation analysis for the relationship between the twogroups. As a result, significant differences were found by the variables gender, marital status, age, educational status, the typeof outdoor sports engaged in and experience. Accordingly, mental toughness has effects on decision-making skills when doingoutdoor sports. There is a low level of positive correlation between mental toughness and decision-making skills. It is thoughtthat the seasons and the types of outdoor sports done have an impact on these result.

___

  • 1. Altıntaş, A.&Bayar Koruç, P. (2016). SpordaZihinselDayanıklılıkEnvanteri’ninPsikometrikÖzellikle rininİncelenmesi.Hacettepe Journal of Sport Sciences, 27(4), 162–171.
  • 2. BMC. (2006). Annual Report. British Mountaineering Council, Manchester,UK.
  • 3. Bull, S., Shambrook, C., James, W.& Brooks, J. (2005). Towards an understanding of mental toughness in elite English cricketers. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 17, 209–227.
  • 4. Burke, S.M.&Orlick, T. (2003). "Mental Strategies of Elite High Altitude Climbers: Overcoming Adversity on Mount Everest.Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments, 7(2), 15-22.
  • 5. Collins, L.& Collins, D. (2013). Decision Making and Risk Management in Adventure Sports Coaching. Quest, 65(1), 72- 82.
  • 6. Collins, L.& Collins, D. (2016). Professional judgement and decision making in the planning process of high-level adventure sports coaching practice.Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, 16(3), 256-268.
  • 7. Cordell, H.K. (2008). The latest trends in nature-based outdoor recreation. Forest history today, Spring, 7-8.
  • 8. Connaughton, D., Wadey, R., Hanton, S.& Jones, G. (2008). The development and maintenance of mental toughness: Perceptions of elite performers. Journal of Sports Sciences, 26, 83–95.
  • 9. Crust, L. & Clough, P.J. (2011). Developing mental toughness: From research to practice. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, (2), 21-32.
  • 10. Crust,L. &R, Keegan. (2010). Mental toughness and attitudes to risk-taking.Personality and Individual Differences, 49,164–168.
  • 11. Deniz, M.E. (2004). Investigation Of The Relation Between Decision Making Self-Esteem, Decision Making Style And Problem Solving Skills of University Students. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research, 15, 23-35.
  • 12. Draper, N., Jones, G.A., Fryer, S., Hodgson, C. & Blackwell, G. (2008). Effect of an on-sight lead on the physiological and psychological responses to rock climbing.Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 7, 492-498.
  • 13. Drury, J., Bonney, B., Berman, D., &Wagstaff, M. (2005). The back country classroom: Lesson plans for teaching in the wilderness (2nd ed.). Guilford, CY: The Globe Pequot press.
  • 14. Egan, S. &Stelmack, R.M. (2003). A personality profile of Mount Everest climbers. Personality and Individual Differences, 34(8), 1491-1494.
  • 15. Fourie, S. &Potgieter, J.R. (2001). The nature of mental toughness in sport.South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation, 23(2), 63-72.
  • 16. Galloway, S.P. (2007). Experience and Medical DecisionMaking in Outdoor Leaders. Journal of Experiential Education, 30(2), 99-116.
  • 17. Godbey, G. (2009). Outdoor Recreation, Health, and Wellness. Understanding and Enhancing the Relationship. Resources for the Future. May.1-29.
  • 18. Gucciardi, D.F. &Gordon, S. (2009). Development and preliminary validation of the cricket mental toughness inventory (CMTI). Journal of Sport Sciences, 27, 1293-1310.
  • 19. Gürer, B. (2012). Investigating the leadership skills in outdoor sports & search and rescue. AbantİzzetBaysal University.
  • 20. Haran Larre, T. (2011). Accidentologie de la randonnéepédestre en moyennemontagne en Pays Basque Nord. Perspectives de prévention, observation de la population des randonneurs accidents en saisonestivale de 2006 a 2009. Doctor of Medicine thesis, Bordeaux 2 University.
  • 21. Jones, G., Hanton, S., &Connaughton, D. (2007). A framework of mental toughness in the world’s best performers. The Sport Psychologist, 21, 243–264.
  • 22. Kane, M.J. (1990). Female Involvement in Physical Recreation: Gender Role as Constraint. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, (61), 52-56.
  • 23. Kelly, J.R. (1990). Leisure. Englewood, Cliffs,New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
  • 24. Kuru, E. (2000). Spordapsikoloji. Ankara: Gazi Üniversitesi Basımevi.
  • 25. Luthans, F. (2002). Positive Organizational Behavior: Developing and Managing Psychological Strengths.Academy of Management Executive, 16(1), 57-72.
  • 26. O'Keeffe, K. (2016). The mental strategies of elite climbing Sherpa., Master’s Thesis in Sport and Exercise Psychology,Department of Sport Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, 102 pages.
  • 27. Priest, S., &Gass, M. A. (2005). Effective leadership in adventure programming (2nd ed.). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
  • 28. Puchan, H. (2005). "Living “extreme”: Adventure sports, media and commercialisation", Journal of Communication Management, 9(2), 171-178.
  • 29. Sheard, M., Golby, J. & Van Wersch, A. (2009). Progress towards construct validation of the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25, 186-193.
  • 30. Sheard, M. (2013). Mental Toughness: The Mindset Behind Sporting Achievement. Second Edition, Hove, East Sussex: Routledge.
  • 31. Smits, B.L.M., Pepping, G.J. &Hettinga, F.J. (2014). Pacing and Decision Making in Sport and Exercise: The Roles of Perception and Action in the Regulation of Exercise Intensity. Sports Med,44,763–775.
  • 32. Soulé, B., Lefèvre, B., Boutroy, E., Reynier, V., Roux, F. &Corneloup, J. (2014). Accidentology of mountain sportsSituation review & diagnosis, PetzlFondation, December.
  • 33. Maddi, S.R. (2004). Hardiness: An operationalization of existential courage. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 44(3), 279–298.
  • 34. McKenzie, M.D. (2000). How are adventure education program outcomes achieved?: A review of the literature. Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, (5)1, 19-28.
  • 35. Mann, L., Radford, M., Burnett, P., Ford, S., Bond, M., Leung, K., Nakamura, H., Vaughan, G. & Yang, K.S. (1998). “CrossCultural Differences in Self-Reported Decision-Making Style and Confidence”. International Journal of Psychology, 33(5), 325-335.
  • 36. Marco, C.D., Hartung, P.J. &Nevmanl, P.P. (2003). Validitiy of the Decisional Process Inventory. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 6, 1-19.
  • 37. Nicholls, A.R.,Polman, R.C.J., Levy, A.R. & Backhouse, S.H. (2009). Mental toughness in sport: Achievement level, gender, age, experience, and sport type differences. Personality and Individual Differences, 47, 73–75
  • 38. Voigt, D. (1998). SporSosyolojisi, KurtişMatbaacılık, İstanbul, 94
  • 39. Young, P.R.& Knight, E.L. (2014). Use of psychological skills by risk sport athletes.Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments, 11(2), Article 2.
  • 40. Woollings, K., McKay., C., Kang., J., Meeuwisse., W., C.A Emery., CA. (2014). Injury Rates, Mechanisms, And Risk Factors For Injury In Youth Rock Climbers. British Journal of Sports Medicine. (48): 672.