Mental Toughness in Sport

First published in 2011. The pursuit of excellence in sport depends on four key facets of performance, namely physical, technical, tactical and mental skills. However, when physical, technical and tactical skills are evenly matched, a common occurrence at elite level, it is the performer with greater levels of mental toughness that seems to prevail most often. This book brings together the world's leading researchers and practitioners working on mental toughness to discuss this vital ingredient of performance excellence in sport, to survey the latest research and to present cutting-edge developments in theory and professional practice. It explores key conceptual, methodological and practical issues including: what mental toughness is and is not, how to measure mental toughness in sport, how to develop mental toughness in sport, mental toughness in other human performance settings, from business to coping and life skills. Also highlighting important avenues for future research, Mental Toughness in Sport is essential reading for all advanced students, researchers and practitioners with an interest in sport psychology or performance sport.

Daniel F. Gucciardi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, Australia. Sandy Gordon is a Professor in the School of Sport Science, Exercise and Health, The University of Western Australia, Australia.

Introduction; Chapter 1 An Introduction to Mental Toughness in Sport, Sandy Gordon, Daniel F. Gucciardi; Part 1 Understanding Mental Toughness; Chapter 2 Mental Toughness, Tom Fawcett; Chapter 3 Mental Toughness and Coping in Sport, Adam R. Nicholls; Chapter 4 A Social-Cognitive Framework for Understanding and Developing Mental Toughness in Sport, Robert J. Harmison; Chapter 5 Who's Mental, Who's Tough and Who's Both?, Mark B. Andersen; Part 2 Measuring Mental Toughness; Chapter 6 Development and Validation of the Mental Toughness Inventory (MTI), Cory S. Middleton, Andrew J. Martin, Herb W. Marsh; Chapter 7 Measuring Mental Toughness in Sport, Daniel F. Gucciardi, Clifford J. Mallett, Stephanie J. Hanrahan, Sandy Gordon; Part 3 Developing Mental Toughness; Chapter 8 Mental Toughness Development, Declan Connaughton, Richard Thelwell, Sheldon Hanton; Chapter 9 Mental Toughness as a Life Skill, Daniel Gould, Katherine Griffes, Sarah Carson; Chapter 10 Understanding and Developing the will to Win in Sport, Clifford J. Mallett, Tristan J. Coulter; Chapter 11 Building Mental Toughness, Robert Weinberg, Joanne Butt; Conclusion; Chapter 12 Mental Toughness in Sport, Daniel F. Gucciardi, Sandy Gordon;