PURPOSE This study aims to validate the applicability of the Metacognitive Beliefs About Performances Questionnaire (MBPQ) for athletes developed by Love et al. (2019a) to Korean adolescents athletes. METHODS The study recruited a total of 311 adolescent athletes registered with the Korea Sports Council. To examine the psychometric properties of the MBPQ and assess model fit, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted. Construct validity, internal consistency (Cronbach’s α), and cross-validation across gender and sport type were also evaluated. Criterion validity was verified through correlation analysis with the Metacognitive Processes During Performance Questionnaire (MPPQ). RESULTS The CFA results supported the original five-factor structure of the scale, while overall model fit indices indicated an acceptable level of fit. Although the construct validity and internal consistency only partially met the most stringent criteria, they were deemed acceptable. Furthermore, cross-validation and criterion validity were satisfactorily established. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide empirical support for the validity of the MBPQ in the context of South Korean adolescent athletes. The scale could serve as a useful tool in future studies that explore metacognition as a key psychological construct in sports performance.
PURPOSE This study comprehensively compared the perception and interaction of player–coach in the development of mental toughness in soccer. METHODS Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews from 12 participants (6 athletes and 6 coaches), analyzed using the grounded theory by Strauss and Corbin, and they were compared to the group of athletes and coaches, respectively. RESULTS The following results were obtained: (1) Both athletes and coaches recognized that the experience of coping with the pressure present in competition was a central phenomenon in the development of mental toughness. (2) Regarding the situation and condition that lead to coping with pressure, the athletes emphasized the individual's goal orientation in the context of competitive situations and environmental conditions, while the coaches emphasized the athletic attitude toward competition and development in childhood. (3) The athlete–coach interaction was identified as an intervening condition affecting the experience of coping with pressure. (4) As the action–reaction strategy for the development of mental toughness, the optimistic thinking was emphasized for athlete and achievement-oriented thinking for coach; thus, it differed in the characteristics of mental toughness. CONCLUSIONS This study presented the results of an integrated comparison of mental toughness, which can vary depending on the contextual specificity (soccer) and the subject of perception (athlete– coach), especially indicating the importance of the player–coach interaction, which can contribute to the strategy to be used in mental toughness development.
