Piggott Ben, Müller Sean, Chivers Paola, Burgin Matthew, Hoyne Gerard
School of Health Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, WA, Australia.
Discipline of Exercise Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia.
Front Psychol. 2019 Jul 3;10:1552. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01552. eCollection 2019.
Literature indicates that mental toughness contributes to successful performance when faced with challenge. This study used an exemplar sport of Australian Rules football to investigate whether skilled performance thrived across increased challenge in small-sided games. Higher ( = 14) and lower ( = 17) skilled Australian footballers were recruited. First, coaches rated participants' mental toughness (MTC) using the Mental Toughness Index. Second, participants competed in small-sided games where challenge was manipulated by varying the attacker to defender ratio to create lower and higher pressure scenarios. Decision-making, motor skill execution, and a combined total were measured. MTC rating was higher for higher skilled players. Total score of higher skilled players was significantly superior to lower skilled players in higher and lower pressure scenarios ( = 0.003). A "pressure differential score," calculated to determine whether participants maintained performance across increased challenge, indicated a significant decrease in performance (total score) from lower to higher pressure scenarios for lower skilled ( = 0.011), but not for higher skilled ( = 0.060) players. Furthermore, MTC scores were predictive of high pressure scenario total scores ( = 0.011). Findings suggest higher levels of mental toughness may contribute to maintain performance across the increased challenge of pressure within small-sided games. Practitioners can subjectively rate athlete mental toughness and then structure small-sided games to objectively measure performance under pressure scenarios. This provides an interdisciplinary approach to assess and train psychomotor skill.
文献表明，心理韧性有助于在面对挑战时取得成功表现。本研究以澳大利亚式足球这一典型运动项目为例，调查在小型比赛中面对不断增加的挑战时，高水平表现是否能够持续。招募了技能水平较高（n = 14）和较低（n = 17）的澳大利亚足球运动员。首先，教练使用心理韧性指数对参与者的心理韧性（MTC）进行评分。其次，参与者参加小型比赛，通过改变进攻者与防守者的比例来制造不同压力场景，从而操纵挑战程度。对决策、运动技能执行情况以及总分进行了测量。技能水平较高的球员MTC评分更高。在高压力和低压力场景下，技能水平较高的球员的总分显著高于技能水平较低的球员（p = 0.003）。计算得出的“压力差异得分”用于确定参与者在面对不断增加的挑战时是否能保持表现，结果表明，技能水平较低的球员从低压力场景到高压力场景的表现（总分）显著下降（p = 0.011），而技能水平较高的球员则没有（p = 0.060）。此外，MTC得分可预测高压力场景下的总分（p = 0.011）。研究结果表明，较高水平的心理韧性可能有助于在小型比赛中面对不断增加的压力挑战时保持表现。从业者可以主观评估运动员的心理韧性，然后设计小型比赛以客观测量压力场景下的表现。这提供了一种跨学科的方法来评估和训练心理运动技能。
