Development and validation of mental toughness scale for shooters

Pages: 1263-1272
D. Ravi, K. Ramachandran and Bhhavya (Defence Institute of Psychological Research, Defence Research and Development Organization, New Delhi)

The aim of the study is to develop and validate the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ). Initially 120 items were generated and finally it reduced 40 items based on item analysis. To establish the reliability, test retest (0.635) and internal consistency reliability (0.912) were identified and to study the latent structure principal component factor analysis carried out and its three factors structure explains 45.4 % of the total variance. To cross validate the latent structure, confirmatory factor analysis carried out, and it supports the three dimensional oblique model. For concurrent validity, it is significantly correlated with mental toughness scale and for convergent validity it is related with the theoretically relevant constructs. For the predictive validity the scale is discriminating the successful and unsuccessful shooters. Finally, Mental Toughness score was positively correlated with the Social desirability score, however its magnitude was relatively small.