Predictors of mental toughness in paralympic athletes: the role of autonomous and controlled motivation and competitiveorientation

Abstract

In contemporary contexts, Paralympic sport is regarded as a significant environment for the development of psychological resources that support athletes’ effectiveness and resilience under heightened demands and multiple stressors. In this regard, mental toughness is of particular importance as an integrative characteristic reflecting the ability to maintain goal-directed activity, control, and performance under pressure. The aim of the study is to identify the contribution of autonomous and controlled motivation, as well as competitive orientation parameters, to explaining variability in mental toughness among Paralympic and Deaflympic athletes. The scientific significance of the study lies in the fact that its findings expand current understanding of the predictors of mental toughness among Paralympic and Deaflympic athletes and clarify the role of motivational and competitive factors in the mechanisms underlying its development. The study methodology included the Mental Toughness Scale (MTS), the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS), and the Sport Orientation Questionnaire (SOQ). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to statistically analyze the empirical data and determine the contribution of the examined predictors to explaining variability in the dependent variable. The findings indicate that competitiveness and autonomous motivation make the greatest contribution to explaining mental toughness. In contrast, controlled motivation and length of sporting experience did not demonstrate statistically significant effects. The findings also suggest that mental toughness is determined to a greater extent by the qualitative characteristics of motivation and achievement orientation than by the duration of sporting experience. The value of the study lies in expanding the understanding of mental toughness as an integrative psychological resource and clarifying the role of internal motivational mechanisms and competitive orientation in its development. The practical significance of the findings lies in their potential application in developing and improving psychological training programs aimed at fostering athletes’ autonomous motivation and constructive competitive orientation.

Keywords: mental toughness, Paralympic sport, autonomous motivation, competitive orientation, sport motivation.