It is essential for athletes to achieve a strong mental attitude in order to perform to their potential in matches and other contexts. Previous studies that have looked at the nature of a strong mental attitude have raised the issue of mental toughness, and it is thought that improving this is extremely important. However, few research studies as yet have made clear what type of psychological structures athletes with a strong mentality possess. Therefore, in this study, we conducted an interview style survey about mental toughness of 20 university student athletes who were competitively active either during or before their school years, in order to uncover the psychological structures behind athletes whose strong mental attitude enables them to perform to their potential in matches and practice. We conducted a qualitative examination about the psychological mechanisms of athletes with a strong mental attitude from the ensuing linguistic data. As a result, we found that the qualities of “willpower” and “control” enabled athletes to overcome immediate and frequent issues, while “recovery from difficulties and subsequent growth” meant that they were able to recover from events considered to be difficult to overcome, and that these factors are largely what constitute mental toughness. In addition to “willpower” and “control,” a lot of respondents mentioned factors in the interviews that have rarely been dealt with in our conception of mental toughness up until now, such as interpersonal relationships and the presence of others, suggesting the ability to trust oneself and others (or “sociability”) is also a key factor that constitutes mental toughness. It is also hypothesized that the factor of positivity, the ability to view one’s way of life up until now and the future in a positive light, as well as an optimistic approach to life, are also important factors in mental toughness. Furthermore, it has been shown that possessing a strong mental attitude is also related to an athlete’s psychological traits, as well as past and present interpersonal relationship styles.
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