Mediational Role of Mental Toughness on the Relationship Between Self-Efficacy and Prosocial/Antisocial Behavior in Elite Youth Sport

Abstract

The modeling and reinforcement of efficacy beliefs and mental toughness in sport continue to generate significant curiosity in the sport psychology research. Investigations into how these behaviors interact and, in the process, affect the development of prosocial and antisocial behaviors among youth athletes are relatively few. This is despite growing evidence of strong associations between self-efficacy beliefs, mental toughness, and various kinds of adaptive and maladaptive behaviors in sport. Therefore, this study sought to examine if mental toughness mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and prosocial/antisocial behaviors in Botswana youth athletes. The study also examined if data from Botswana fit the proposed factor structure of the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire, the Self-efficacy Scale, and the Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior in Sport scale. A total of 158 male (n = 81) and female (n = 77) junior secondary school and senior secondary school (middle and high school) athletes aged 14–20 years old enrolled in Centers for Sport Excellence in Botswana participated in the study. Results showed support for the factor structure of the study's measurement tools. The constancy dimension of mental toughness mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and prosocial/antisocial behavior to teammate and opponent. These findings have implications for research and practice aimed at enhancing efficacy beliefs, mental toughness, and positive youth sport experiences. Contextual relevance of this line of research and measurement tools are discussed.

Association of self-efficacy and mental toughness with sport performance in Brazilian futsal athletes

“…According to Brace et al (2020), judgments carried out by SE in the context of MT involve complex Although still understudied, these factors are related to and influence the performance of other sport behaviors, and should be understood as shared attributes. Rintaugu et al (2022) stated that having a tough mindset means being mentally strong, and that the athlete has acquired thinking, believing and visualizing skills that provide empowering emotions during competitions (Zeiger and Zeiger, 2018;Ramolale et al, 2021), in addition to showing better career development capacity, pressure resistance, training and good performance (Tian et al, 2022).…”

“…Until this moment, we have found two studies investigating both variables in ultramarathon runners (Brace et al, 2020), while Ramolale et al (2021) examined the mediating role of MT in the relationship between self-efficacy and pro-social/antisocial behaviors in young athletes in Botswana. The authors pointed out the need to advance these investigations, highlighting a paucity of studies relating selfefficacy to mental toughness.…”

What Is the Role of Religious Commitment between an Extrovert Personality and Moral Disengagement through Prosocial/Antisocial Behaviours and Moral Identity? An Investigation on Student-Athletes

“…Furthermore, the consequences of prosocial and antisocial behaviours for recipients have been investigated, providing insights into the outcomes and implications of athletes' conduct on individuals within their social environment (Al-Yaaribi et al 2016). The mediating role of mental toughness on the relationship between self-efficacy and prosocial/antisocial behaviour in elite youth sports has been explored, underscoring the potential psychological mechanisms underlying athletes' behavioural tendencies (Ramolale et al 2021). Moreover, the relationship between prosocial and antisocial behaviours and personality traits in team athletes has been examined, revealing associations between individual dispositions and behavioural tendencies within sports contexts (Çutuk et al 2021).…”