Is Mindfulness the Common Ground Between Mental Toughness and Self-Compassion in Student Athletes? A Cross-Sectional
Zacharias Papadakis1, Shana M Walsh2, Grant B Morgan3
1Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Health Promotion and Clinical Practice, Barry University, Miami Shores, FL 33161, USA.
Abstract:
This study interrogates whether mental toughness (MT) and self-compassion (SC)-historically framed as oppositional constructs-can coexist synergistically among NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA collegiate athletes, with mindfulness as a hypothesized mediator. A cross-sectional survey of 396 participants (mean age: 19.8 yrs ± 1.9 SD; females: 51%), revealed a robust MT-SC correlation (r = 0.46), which attenuated to 0.31 when mindfulness was modeled, signaling its role as a partial mediator. Hierarchical regression controlling for sex showed that MT and sex together explained 22% of the SC variance (ΔR2 = 0.22, p < 0.001). Adding mindfulness increased the total explained variance to 39% (ΔR2 = 0.17, p < 0.001). Females scored slightly lower on SC (β = -0.14, SE = 0.05, p = 0.008). Sobel testing confirmed significant partial mediation (Z = 7.22, p < 0.001), with mindfulness explaining 33% of MT's total effect on SC. Mindfulness-based interventions that exploit athletes' intrinsic attentional resources can simultaneously enhance mental toughness and self-compassion. By reconciling performance-oriented rigor with resilient self-regard, such strategies hold promise for athletes operating at diverse competitive levels.
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