How do mentally tough athletes overcome self-directed anger, shame, and criticism? A self-forgiveness mediation analysis

Abstract

We examined associations between mental toughness, self-directed, negatively toned emotions and cognitions, and self-forgiveness. With reference to their participation in competitive tennis, a sample of 343 competitive tennis players (Mage = 17.56, SD = 2.37) completed questionnaires measuring their mental toughness, self-forgiveness, and tendency to experience shame, anger, and criticism towards themselves. Mental toughness associated negatively with self-oriented shame, anger, and criticism, and positively with self-forgiveness. The effect of mental toughness on both shame and anger towards the self was fully mediated by self-forgiveness, whereas self-forgiveness partially mediated the effect for self-criticism. The findings support the role of self-forgiveness, over mental toughness, in reducing or eliminating self-condemning, resentful, and devaluing responses that athletes direct towards themselves