Psychometric Properties and Normalization of Persian Version of Mental Toughness Scale (MTS)

Mental Toughness (MT), which refers to an inner focus and commitment to rise above challenges when facing adversity, is viewed as one of the most important psychological attributes in determining success in sport. The purpose of this study was determining validity and reliability of the Persian version of Mental Toughness Scale to assess MT for use with college athletes. For this purpose, 227 collegiate athletes in different sport fields were chosen by random sampling and completed the Persian version of scale. The method of the research was as follows: first, with use of translation-back translation methods, face validity and translate accuracy of Persian version of questionnaires were questionnaire was confirmed. Confirmatory factor analysis based on structural equations modeling was used for validation of structure of questionnaire, Cronbach alpha coefficient was used for internal consistency of questionnaire, and intra-class correlation coefficient under test-retest method was used to study temporal reliability of items. The results showed that the mental toughness Scale had has acceptable fit index, internal consistency (0.87), and temporal reliability (0.85), indicating good validity and reliability of the Persian version of mental toughness scale. Also the results supported 1-factor and 11-item structure of the initial of scale .Therefore, The Persian version of the mental toughness scale can be characterized as a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the mental toughness of Iranian collegiate athletes.