Individual differences in mental toughness associate with academic performance and income

Abstract

Mental toughness (MT) has been related to high performance in competitive situations. The current studies tested whether individual differences in MT were associated with success in two achievement domains: higher education and work. Academic performance and attendance were assessed over three years in a British university sample. MT was associated with higher average academic grades (Study 1). Individual differences in MT predicted individuals' income, controlling for age and gender (Study 2). The results suggest that MT entails positive psychological resources that are important for academic and career success. Future research aiming at exploring the factors that contribute to variation in MT and the mechanisms that underlie the association between MT and achievement may have significant implications for predicting and optimizing performance in various domains.

Effects of stress and mental toughness on burnout and depressive symptoms: A prospective study with young elite athletes

“…way how to define mental toughness, Lin et al 16 recently defined mental toughness as a multidimensional personality construct, which helps people successfully cope with stressors and to strive when faced with challenging situations. Other researchers have highlighted that mental toughness reflects a set of positive psychological resources that may impact on the way people appraise and deal with demanding circumstances in order to achieve their goals.…”

The bright side of dark: Exploring the positive effect of narcissism on perceived stress through mental toughness

“…MT reflects an effective coping mechanism as reaction to stressors and it allows individuals to proactively seek out opportunities for personal growth (Lin, Clough, Welch, & Papageorgiou, 2017;Papageorgiou, Mutz, Lin, & Clough, 2018).…”

Bridging the gap: A network approach to Dark Triad, Mental Toughness, the Big Five, and perceived stress

“…MT reflects an effective coping mechanism for dealing with stressors (Mutz, Clough, & Papageorgiou, ). MT allows individuals to proactively seek out opportunities for personal growth (Lin, Clough, Welch, & Papageorgiou, ). MT has been linked with several positive outcomes across achievement contexts (Lin, Mutz, Clough, & Papageorgiou, ).…”