The Examination of the Relationship between Mental Toughness and Physical Activity Levels of Sports Science Faculty Students

Authors : Zeynep Taşcı, Hüseyin Aslan, Mehmet Akif Ziyagil Ziyagil

Pages : 308-321

Doi:10.15314/tsed.1704630

View : 43 | Download : 65

Publication Date : 2025-08-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Mental toughness and physical activity level of sports science students are supporting factors in coping with their intense academic, sports, and athletic demands. The aim of this research is to examine the relationship between mental toughness and physical activity levels of sports science faculty students. In this study, a relational screening model was used, which is one of the general screening methods of quantitative type, to determine the interactions between multiple variables. The data were collected from a total of 361 students, 179 female and 182 male, from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades of the Physical Education and Sports Teaching, Sports Management, Coaching Training and Recreation departments of Selçuk University Faculty of Sports Sciences by convenience sampling method. \\\"Sports Mental Toughness Inventory (SMTI)\\\", \\\"International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)\\\" and \\\"Personal Information Form\\\" whose validity and reliability studies were conducted in Turkey were used to collect the data. Since the data did not show normal distribution, X2 was used to determine the difference between the distributions of the groups, Mann Whitney U was used to compare the binary groups, Kruskall Wallis was used to compare the triple groups, and sequential correlation coefficient analyzes were used to determine the relationship between the variables. The findings of this study show that the level of physical activity changes according to age groups, not gender factor. In women, except for the SMTI maintain sub-dimension, there are significant differences due to the differences between low and high and medium and high exercise level groups in terms of other confidence, control and SMTI total scores. In men, there were significant differences in the endurance sub-dimension of SMTI from low and medium level exercise groups, and in other sub-dimensions from low and high exercise groups. In female and male students, a significant relationship was found between physical activity level and confidence and total score of mental toughness inventory in sports. However, no significant relationship was found between physical activity level and continuity sub-dimension. In male students, a significant relationship was found between physical activity level and confidence, control and total scores of mental toughness inventory in sports. As in women, no significant relationship was observed between physical activity level and continuity sub-dimension in men. As a result, it can be said that as the level of physical activity increases in both male and female students, mental toughness in sports also increases. It can be conclude thatt as the level of physical activity increases in both male and female students, mental toughness in sports also increases. Slightly more than half of the male students in sports sciences participate in vigorous physical activities, while slightly less than half of the female students participate in vigorous physical activities. The level of physical activity varies according to age rather than gender.
Keywords : Fiziksel aktivite düzeyi, Spor zihinsel dayanıklık, Cinsiyet ve Yaş

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