ASSESSING MENTAL TOUGHNESS, ACADEMIC RESILIENCE AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG GRADUATE STUDENTS: A COMPARISON BASED ON SPORTS INTEREST

Sports Psychology, Applied Psychology, Educational Psychology, Positive Psychology

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between mental toughness, academic resilience, and quality of life among young adult college-going students and compare this relationship between those interested in sports and those not interested in sports. A comparative, correlational research design was applied, which involved a purposive random sample of 120 students with an age range of 18 to 22 years. Participants were divided into two equal groups which were based on their involvement in sports: 60 who engaged in sports regularly and 60 whose participation in sports was negligible. Mental Toughness Scale, Academic Resilience Scale and WHOQOL-BREF Scale were used to collect data. The results revealed that sports-interested students exhibit significantly higher levels of mental toughness (including high levels of confidence, control, commitment, and challenge orientation), significantly higher levels of academic resilience (including superior socio-emotional skills, motivation, meta-cognitive abilities, and self-belief), and significantly higher quality of life in terms of physical health, psychological well-being, and environment, whereas no significant difference was seen in social relationships. Positive correlation was observed between mental toughness, academic resilience, and quality of life in sports-interested students, this stresses on the synergistic advantages of sports on both academic and personal growth. On the contrary, weaker associations among these constructs were seen in non-sports-interested students, which points out the role of external supports and alternative coping mechanisms. This study highlights the holistic advantages of sports in fostering psychological strength, resilience, and overall well-being. It also advocates for the integration of sports programs into educational frameworks and investigation of alternative strategies to foster similar traits among non-sports students.

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