Relationship between mental qualities and medal attainment of elite athletes in Singapore

• Main Author: Lai, Stevenson Fook Fatt
• Other Authors: Smith, Daniel
• Format: Theses and Dissertations
• Language: English
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Education::Sports and physical education
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/14079
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Personality researchers have found significant differences between successful and non-successful elite athletes (Gould, Weiss & Weinberg, 1981; Smith & Clack, 1996; Drake, 1997). This investigation examined four personality traits and two mental skills of elite athletes in Singapore to determine whether athletes who scored higher on selected, validated self-evaluation questionnaires secured more medals in international competitions when compared to non-medal winners. These questionnaires, Sport Competitive Anxiety Test (SCAT) (Martens, 1975), Trait-Sport Confidence Inventory (TSCI) (Vealey, 1986) and the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ) (Smith, 1994) were sent to all nationally funded athletes (N = 572) in Singapore.