Examining the moderation and mediation effects of mental toughness on perceived stress and anxiety amongst athletes and non-athletes

The purpose of the current study was to examine the moderation and mediation effects of mental toughness (MT) on the relationship between perceived stress and anxiety, and to test whether such effects are stronger in athletes than non-athletes. The sample consisted of 320 students (160 athletes, 160 non-athletes) from Nanyang Technological University. Multiple hierarchical analyses showed that MT moderated this relationship only in non-athletes, and partially mediated this relationship in both athletes and non-athletes. Moreover, mediation was found to be stronger in athletes; MT accounted for a substantially greater variance in anxiety outcome in athletes (82%) than non-athletes (33%), highlighting the importance of MT as a stress buffer pathway to lower anxiety. Additional variable control analyses revealed that training years did not benefit MT effects, suggesting that practice quality or competition level might be more critical in MT development. This study presents novel findings on the moderation and mediation perspective of MT on the perceived stress-anxiety relationship, which provides a more comprehensive foundation for future MT interventions using sports.