Abstract

This study tested the effects of individual and group-level characteristics on performance during a mandatory and challenging physical education course at the United States Military Academy (USMA). We focused on attributes related to mental toughness, and examined both self-report and utilized an other-rating scale that measures mental toughness-related characteristics and is important to USMA generally. We examined course scores for 5,581 first-year students over five academic years, accounted for background physical fitness, and determined how mental toughness attributes at the group and individual-level contributed to overall course score and scores on constituent events (e.g. obstacle course, rope climbing). Self-reported optimism, self-reported resilience, and mental toughness items from a peer rating scale, but not self-reported grit, significantly improved course performance. The average score across class section on optimism or the peer rating scale also positively covaried with course score, over and above the individual-level impact of that attribute. Analyses of individual events demonstrated that “group-level character” was important for some events, whereas individual attributes were most important for others. Findings suggested an emergent group character capable of influencing individual physical performance scores. Being a member of a tough group may have comparable effects to individual mental toughness.

摘要

这项研究在美国军事学院（USMA）的强制性和挑战性体育课程中测试了个人和团体水平特征对表现的影响。我们专注于与心理韧性有关的属性，并检查了自我报告并使用了其他评估量表来衡量与心理韧性相关的特征，这对USMA总体而言很重要。我们检查了五个学年中的5,581名一年级学生的课程得分，并考虑了背景身体健康状况，并确定了小组和个人层面的心理韧性属性如何对总体课程得分和构成事件得分（例如障碍课程，绳索）产生了影响攀登）。自我评价的乐观情绪，自我报告的应变能力和心理韧性项目来自同伴评级量表，而非自我报告的毅力，大大提高了课程表现。的除该属性对个人的影响之外，全班平均乐观程度或同伴评分量表的平均分数也与课程分数成正相关。对单个事件的分析表明，“群体性格”对于某些事件很重要，而对其他事件则最重要。研究结果表明，一个新兴的群体性格能够影响个人的身体成绩。成为坚强团队的一员可能会与个人的心理韧性产生可比的影响。