Richard G. Cowden *, Lee Crust **, Shaun Joynt ***, Joshua N. Hook **** and Everett L. Worthington Jr. *****
(*) Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
(**) School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
(***) Department of Theology, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
(****) Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, USA
(*****) Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA
Citation
G. Cowden, R., Crust, L., Joynt, S., N. Hook, J., L. Worthington Jr., E. (2018). How do mentally tough athletes overcome self-directed anger, shame, and criticism? A self-forgiveness mediation analysis. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 49(4), 327-348. doi:10.7352/IJSP.2018.49.327
Abstract
We examined associations between mental toughness, self-directed, negatively toned emotions and cognitions, and self-forgiveness. With reference to their participation in competitive tennis, a sample of 343 competitive tennis players (Mage = 17.56, SD = 2.37) completed questionnaires measuring their mental toughness, self-forgiveness, and tendency to experience shame, anger, and criticism towards themselves. Mental toughness associated negatively with self-oriented shame, anger, and criticism, and positively with self-forgiveness. The effect of mental toughness on both shame and anger towards the self was fully mediated by self-forgiveness, whereas self-forgiveness partially mediated the effect for self-criticism. The findings support the role of self-forgiveness, over mental toughness, in reducing or eliminating self-condemning, resentful, and devaluing responses that athletes direct towards themselves
Keywords: Anger, Mental toughness, Self-criticism, Shame; Self-forgiveness, Tennis