Validation of the German Version of the Very Short Mental Toughness Questionnaire (VS-MTQ-G)

Abstract: The primary objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of a German version of the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ48; Clough et al., 2002 ). Given the ongoing debate about the factor structure of the English version, a thorough analysis of the factorial structure of the various German versions was in order. In Study 1 ( N = 292), the factor structures of the German version of the MTQ48 and its short forms were examined. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the 1-factor model of the six-item German version of the Very Short Mental Toughness Questionnaire (VS-MTQ-G) had the best model fit, with acceptable internal consistency and factor loadings. In Study 2 ( N = 201), the expected correlations between the VS-MTQ-G and convergent (i. e., alternative measure of mental toughness, self-efficacy, anxiety, stress, and rumination) as well as discriminant (i. e., social desirability) measures indicated the validity of the questionnaire. Study 3 ( N = 89) demonstrated good test–retest reliability of the measure within a 7-day interval. All studies were conducted in different samples of athletes, consisting of amateur and elite athletes. Overall, the VS-MTQ-G shows satisfactory reliability and validity, thus serving as an economical diagnostic tool for the unidimensional assessment of mental toughness. Future studies should include a more diverse sample from various contexts to ensure the measure’s generalizability and applicability to individual diagnostics.