Citation

Weissensteiner JR, Abernethy B, Farrow D, Gross J. J. Sci. Med. Sport 2012; 15(1): 74-79.

Affiliation

Talent Identification and Development, Australian Institute of Sport, Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Sports Medicine Australia, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsams.2011.07.003

PMID

21820960

Abstract

This paper sought to determine the psychological characteristics and skills that are fundamental to batting success in the sport of cricket. Following on from the findings of an earlier qualitative investigation which suggested that a favorable mix of psychological attributes and skills are critical to high performance in batting (Weissensteiner et al., 2009(10)), adult-aged batsmen of two different skill levels (highly skilled n=11; lesser skilled n=10) completed a battery of psychological tests that included measures of mental toughness (Mental Toughness Inventory), perfectionism (Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale), coping ability (Athletic Coping Skills Inventory-28), and optimism (Attributional Styles Questionnaire). Contrary to the research hypothesis, it was found that the highly skilled batsmen were only distinguishable from batsmen of lesser skill by their higher degree of global mental toughness. The skilled batsmen scored significantly higher on mental toughness dimensions relating to motivation (Personal Bests, Task Value and Commitment), coping skill (Perseverance) and self-belief (Potential). If mental toughness can be reliably predicted at an earlier age, it may be an attribute worthy of inclusion in future talent identification and development programs.

Language: en