Psychometric Validation of the Mental Toughness Questionnaire-18 Among High School Students Using the Rasch Model Analysis

The increasing academic, social, and developmental demands faced by high school students make mental toughness an important psychological resource for adapting to various pressures. Therefore, measuring mental toughness is essential to support needs-based guidance and counseling services. This study aimed to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Mental Toughness Questionnaire-18 (MTQ-18) among general high school students using the Rasch Model. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey design was employed. The participants consisted of 455 students in SIDRAP Regency who were selected using convenience sampling. The instrument used was the Indonesian version of the MTQ-18, which had been adapted to the characteristics of high school students. Data were analyzed using the Rasch Model with Winsteps software. The findings indicate that the MTQ-18 provides preliminary evidence of adequate psychometric quality for measuring mental toughness among high school students. The five-point Likert response categories functioned consistently in differentiating respondents’ choices. Most items demonstrated acceptable fit with the measurement model, although several item indicators require further evaluation. The instrument also met the unidimensionality assumption, with a raw variance explained by measures value of 47.2 percent. Item difficulty analysis showed variations in item characteristics across different levels of students’ mental toughness. Reliability analysis demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha equal to 0.72), very high item reliability (1.00), and adequate person reliability (0.68). These findings suggest that the MTQ-18 has potential as an initial assessment instrument (need assessment) to support guidance and counseling services for high school students.