Abstract
Balancing performance demands with self-care is essential for maintaining psychological health. Mental toughness (MT) and self-compassion (SC) are often framed as opposing constructs; however, athlete data suggest mindfulness (MF) may integrate them. Whether this extends to non-athlete adults is unclear. PURPOSE: To test whether MF mediates the MT–SC relationship in a non-athlete population. METHODS: Eighty-four adults (M_age = 44.4, SD = 14.9; 57.1% male) were recruited from a community outreach program. Missing data were addressed with 20 item-level imputations. Measures included the Mental Toughness Index (α = .89, ω = .90) and the Self-Compassion Scale excluding MF items (SC_noMF; α = .90, ω = .91), from which the mindfulness subscale was analyzed separately (MF; α = .67, ω = .69). Confirmatory factor analyses supported measurement quality (MT one-factor; SC two-factor distinguishing MF vs. SC_noMF). Mediation models, adjusted for age and sex, used 5,000 bootstrap resamples within each imputed dataset, with pooled estimates and bias-corrected accelerated (BCa) confidence intervals (CI) derived using Rubin’s rules. RESULTS: MT correlated with SC_noMF (r = .46, p < .001) and MF (r = .52, p < .001). MT predicted MF (a = .42, p < .001); MF predicted SC_noMF controlling MT (b = .62, p < .001). The indirect effect was significant (a×b = .26, 95% BCa CI [.15, .39]); the direct MT→SC_noMF path was non-significant (c’ = .08, p = .24), indicating full mediation in this sample. The total effect was .34 (95% CI [.20, .48]); ~76% was mediated. A theory-consistent three-factor CFA (MT, MF, SC_noMF) fit better than a one-factor model, and a competing ordering (MT→SC_noMF→MF) showed a smaller indirect effect and less favorable AIC/BIC (≈ 238.9/260.8 vs 287.0/308.9). CONCLUSION: MF fully mediated the MT–SC relationship in this community-based sample, extending earlier findings from athletic populations. MT and SC may not be opposing qualities but could coexist to support psychological health; MF may be a practical bridge. Given the cross-sectional design, causal claims are avoided; longitudinal/experimental models are warranted.
Recommended Citation
Saldo, Gustavo F.; Chapman-Lopez, Tomas; Bolden, Leroy K.; Russell, Olivia; Forsee, Jeffrey; Gallucci, Andrew R.; and Stamatis, Andreas
(2025)
"Performance and Self-Kindness in Dynamic Balance: Mindfulness as the Bridge Between Mental Toughness and Self-Compassion,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 15:
Iss.
7, Article 2.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol15/iss7/2