De corpo e alma na competição

: o papel da resiliência mental e da avaliação cognitiva no rendimento desportivo

Abstract

The relationship between mental toughness and sports performance has become widely known. However, the process by which this relationship occurs, particularly in situations of high stress such as sporting competitions, remains unknown. This study aimed to analyze the role of mental resilience in the way athletes interpret competitive situations (cognitive appraisal) and, consequently, the influence of this interpretation on sports performance. Over 7 matches, pre- and post-game data were collected from 12 male basketball athletes playing on the national league (56 units of analysis). Mental toughness and cognitive appraisal were predictors of objective performance indicators (e.g., points scored and minutes played) but not of the athletes’ perception of sports performance. There was a relationship of total mediation between mental toughness and total points scored and minutes played, both via perception of control: higher levels of mental toughness predicted greater perception of control of the stressful situation, which, in turn, predicted a more positive performance (more points achieved and minutes played).Thus, it was concluded that mental toughness is important in predicting objective sports performance, but not subjective performance, and this relationship was partially explained by cognitive assessment.

Date of Award	13 Jul 2021
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Catarina Morais (Supervisor)