Validity and reliability of the Persian version of sport mental toughness questionnaire (SMTQ)

the purpose of this study was to determine validity and reliability of the Persian version of sport mental toughness questioner Sheard, Golby and Wersch (2009), respectively. In this regard and to confirm the construct validity of the questionnaire, 197 (106 male and 91 female) athletes with different skill levels (novice, sub-elite and elite) in 10 team and individual sports, selected by random sampling and then completed the questionnaire. For this purpose, the first using a translation - back translation method, content and face validity of Persian version of questionnaire were confirmed by 3 sport psychologists and 3 English teaching specialists. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) based on structural equations was used for validation of structure of questionnaire, Cronbach alpha coefficient was used for validation of internal consistency of questionnaire, and intra-class correlation coefficient under test-retest method with 4-week interval was used to study temporal reliability of items. The results showed that the sport mental toughness questioner (SMTQ) had acceptable fit index (RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.94, TLI = 0.92), internal consistency (Confidence = 0.76, Constancy = 0.78, Control =0.72, and the total = 0.76), and temporal reliability (Confidence = 0.74, Constancy = 0.82, Control =0.74, and the total = 0.83), indicating good validity and reliability of the Persian version of sport mental toughness questioner. Therefore, the Persian version of the sport mental toughness questioner (SMTQ) can be characterized as a valid and reliable tool to study and evaluate the mental toughness of Iranian athletes will benefit.