The Relationship between Mental Toughness and Sport Success in Martial Arts of Males and Females

The purpose of this study was to determine relationship between mental toughness and sport success in male and female martial arts. For this purpose, 180 athletes of two sexes were chosen through purposive sampling. The instruments of this research were Mental Toughness Questioner 48 (MTQ48) and Sport Success Scale (SSS). The validity and reliability of these instruments were determined in the Iranian population of athletes. The result of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that challenge and confidence factors can significantly predict the success of men in martial arts, while predictive factor for women athletes were challenge, control and commitment. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that athletes using mental skills such as mental toughness can increase their chance of success in sports competitions. It seems that the difference between predictive factors for success in men and women are due to physiological, psychological and social learning.