Abstract

Athletes, coaches, and applied sports psychologists have consistently referred to mental toughness as one of the most important psychological characteristics related to outcomes and success in elite sport, although researchers have, until recently, devoted little time to studying this concept. This review considers some of the emerging definitions and conceptualizations, and examines how mental toughness might be developed in performers. Qualitative and quantitative approaches to the study of mental toughness are evaluated, and developments in measuring this important concept are discussed. Research that has examined the relationship between mental toughness, performance, and perception are also reviewed. Future directions for research are offered.