Page No : 312-320
Shubhangi Kumari
L.N. Mithila University, Darbhanga, Bihar
Reeta Chauhan
Samastipur College, Samastipur, Bihar
This study examined how optimism and proactive coping predict mental toughness in
student-athletes and explored gender differences across optimism, proactive coping,
and mental toughness subdomains, confidence, constancy, and control. The sample
consisted of 200 student-athletes (101 males, 99 females) from various sports.
Participants completed the Revised Life Orientation Test, the Proactive Coping Inventory,
and the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). Data analysis involved ttests,
Pearson’s correlations, and multiple regression (using the Enter method). Males
scored significantly higher in confidence, while females scored higher in control.
Optimism and proactive coping were both positively correlated with confidence,
constancy, and overall mental toughness. However, regression analyses revealed that
proactive coping significantly predicted all three subdomains, whereas optimism did
not predict mental toughness after controlling for proactive coping. Proactive coping is
a key contributor to mental toughness in student-athletes, highlighting the importance
of coping skills training in sport psychology. Gender differences suggest the need for
tailored mental training programs. These findings add to the growing understanding of
how positive psychological traits support athletic performance