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Papers by Michael Sheard

International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2010

... personality hardiness diFFerentiates elite-leVel sport perFormers MICHAEL SHEARD1 ANDJIM GOLB... more ... personality hardiness diFFerentiates elite-leVel sport perFormers MICHAEL SHEARD1 ANDJIM GOLBY2 1 York St. ... Wadey, Hanton, &amp; Jones, 2008; Ford et al., 2000; Gould et al., 2002; Jones, Hanton, &amp; Connaughton, 2007; Nicholls, Polman, Levy, &amp; Backhouse, 2008), future ...

Perceptual and motor skills, 2003

This study examined the relations between demographic characteristics of rugby players and select... more This study examined the relations between demographic characteristics of rugby players and selected aspects of psychological performance in rugby league football. Mental toughness was assessed using Psychological Performance Inventory and Hardiness on the Personal Views Survey III-R. Participants (N=70) were international rugby league footballers representing four teams (Wales, France, Ireland, England) in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup. Participants completed the questionnaires in training camp. Welsh-nationality players had a significantly higher mean score on two of the hardiness subscales. Hardiness measures displayed the greatest and most frequently statistically significant differences. The findings concur with previous work indicating superior hardiness is related to improved performance in sports.

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2007

tside Summay.-This study assesses the construct validity of a measure of mental toughness, Loehr'... more tside Summay.-This study assesses the construct validity of a measure of mental toughness, Loehr's Psychological Performance Inventory. Performers (i"v'408, 303 men, 105 women, M age=24.0 yr., SD=6.7) drawn from eight sports (artistic rollerskating, basketball, canoeing, golf, rugby league, rugby union, soccer, swimming), and competing at either international, national, county and provincial, or club and regional standards. They completed the 42-item Psychological Performance Inventory during training camps. Principal components analysis provided minimal support for the factor structure. Instead, the exploratory analysis yielded a 4-factor 14-item model (PPI-A). A single factor underlying mental toughness (GMT) was identified with higher-order exploratory factor analysis using the Schmid-Leiman procedure. Psychometric analysis of the model, using confirmatory analysis techniques, fitted the data well. Collectively satisfying absolute and incremental fit index benchmarks, the inventory possesses satisfactory psychometric properties, with adequate reliability and convergent and discriminant validity. The results lend preliminary support to the factorial validity and reliability of the model; however, further investigation of its stability is required before recommending practitioners use changes in scores as an index for evaluating effects of training in psychological skills.

International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2009

This study sought to extend the findings of Amiot, Vallerand, and Blanchard (2006), which recentl... more This study sought to extend the findings of Amiot, Vallerand, and Blanchard (2006), which recently provided evidence of the "rigid persistence paradox" in high-achieving sport performers. The paradox amounts to athletes adjusting more easily to the demands of highly competitive sport if they rate highly in obsessive passion, a type of passion characterized as an internal pressure that compels the individual to engage in the passionate activity. The activity controls the person, resulting in an increased risk of experiencing conflict and increased negative affect. Yet, despite this, Amiot et al.'s findings suggest that obsessively passionate athletes adjust to the most competitive environments. The present study examined the levels of harmony and obsession of passion in the high-impact collision sport of rugby union football. Participants were 78 rugby union footballers representing three playing levels of the professional game in Great Britain (International, Club, and Academy). Results indicated that performers playing at the International and Academy standards scored significantly higher in obsessive passion than Club players, as measured by the Passion Scale. However, obsessive passion was not correlated with negative emotional outcomes, as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. These findings provide partial supportive evidence of the existence of the rigid persistence paradox. Results are discussed in terms of the acceptance of the dedication and hours of deliberate practice needed to: a) compete at International level and b) become a professional sportsperson. Implications for sports performers and coaches, and future research suggestions, are discussed.

Personality and Individual Differences, 2007

The purpose of this correlational study was to identify hardiness components that would explain v... more The purpose of this correlational study was to identify hardiness components that would explain variation in the academic performance of sport and exercise undergraduate students. Data were derived from 134 students from a university in the northeast of England admitted onto the second year of their degree in 2004 on the basis of successful progression from the first year of study. Students completed the hardiness PVS III-R, a measurement of commitment, control, challenge, and total hardiness, at the beginning of their second year of study, and provided consent for their academic progress to be tracked. Year 2 GPA, Year 3 GPA, final degree GPA, and final-year dissertation mark determined academic success. Commitment and total hardiness were significantly positively correlated with academic success criteria. In particular, the potential moderating role of commitment on academic performance has implications for educators and researchers.

Journal of Experiential Education, 2006

To date, little empirical research has been conducted to support the claim that outdoor adventure... more To date, little empirical research has been conducted to support the claim that outdoor adventure education (OAE) develops desirable psychological characteristics in participants. This study examined the effects of an OAE foundation degree curriculum on positive psychological development. Fifty-two students (26 OAE students, 26 controls on an unrelated course), aged 16–39 years, completed a battery of positive psychological questionnaires (at the start of their respective courses and 3 months later) measuring hardiness, mental toughness, self-esteem, self-efficacy, dispositional optimism, and positive affectivity. OAE curriculum activities included rock-climbing, navigation training, countryside leadership, gill-scrambling, and open canoeing. Control students were enrolled on a classroom-based travel and tourism college course. Inferential multivariate statistics revealed non-significant (p > .05, partial η2 = .38) improvements by the OAE group across several psychological constr...

European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2009

This study examines the construct validity of an original self-report instrument for the assessme... more This study examines the construct validity of an original self-report instrument for the assessment of mental toughness: the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ). Two independent studies supported a three-factor (Confidence, Constancy, and Control) 14-item model for the SMTQ. With a sample of 633 athletes (427 males, 206 females; M age = 21.5 years; SD = 5.48), drawn from 25 sport classifications, and competing at international, national, county and provincial, or club and regional standards, the first study utilized item development and exploratory factor analytic techniques to establish the psychometric properties of the SMTQ. Study 2 employed confirmatory factor analytic techniques with an independent sample of 509 sports performers (351 males, 158 females; M age = 20.2 years; SD = 3.35), competing at the aforementioned standards, and representative of 26 sports. Confirmatory analysis using structural equation modeling confirmed the overall structure. A single factor unde...

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2009

The relation between nationality and selected indicators of psychological performance in rugby le... more The relation between nationality and selected indicators of psychological performance in rugby league football was examined. Mental toughness was assessed using the alternative Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI–A) and hardiness using the Personal Views Survey III–R (PVS III–R). Participants ( N = 49, M age = 21.7 yr., SD = 2.3) were male elite-level university rugby league footballers representing Australia and Great Britain. Participants completed the questionnaires in training camp in Sydney, Australia, one week prior to the commencement of an international tournament there in 2006. Multivariate analyses revealed that the Australian Universities players had significantly higher mean scores on Positive Cognition, Visualization, Total Mental Toughness, and Challenge than their opponents from Great Britain. The Australian Universities players were also the tournament winners. The findings concur with previous research indicating superior mental toughness and hardiness are rela...

The increasingly business-like environment of professional sport has resulted in greater scrutiny... more The increasingly business-like environment of professional sport has resulted in greater scrutiny and analysis of playersÕ performance. The roles of physiological parameters in predicting success in the world of professional and amateur sport are well established. However, to date, evidence is sparse concerning the role of personality traits in predicting such success. The present study examined the potency of measures of personality style and mental skills in predicting success in the criterion sport of professional rugby league. Mental toughness was assessed by questionnaire using the Psychological Performance Inventory. Hardiness was assessed by questionnaire using the Personal Views Survey III-R. Subjects in this study were 115 professional rugby league footballers representing the top three playing levels in the game in Great Britain (International, Super League, and Division One). Findings demonstrated that performers playing at the highest standard (International players) scored significantly higher in all three hardiness subscales (commitment, control and challenge) and in two of the seven mental toughness subscales (negative energy control and attention control). Results are discussed relative to previous findings, in particular, of the efficacy of high levels of hardiness. Practical implications focus on the advocacy of mental toughness and hardiness training to improve sports performance.

This study sought to extend the findings of , which recently provided evidence of the "rigid pers... more This study sought to extend the findings of , which recently provided evidence of the "rigid persistence paradox" in high-achieving sport performers. The paradox amounts to athletes adjusting more easily to the demands of highly competitive sport if they rate highly in obsessive passion, a type of passion characterized as an internal pressure that compels the individual to engage in the passionate activity. The activity controls the person, resulting in an increased risk of experiencing conflict and increased negative affect. Yet, despite this, Amiot et al.'s findings suggest that obsessively passionate athletes adjust to the most competitive environments. The present study examined the levels of harmony and obsession of passion in the high-impact collision sport of rugby union football. Participants were 78 rugby union footballers representing three playing levels of the professional game in Great Britain (International, Club, and Academy). Results indicated that performers playing at the International and Academy standards scored significantly higher in obsessive passion than Club players, as measured by the Passion Scale. However, obsessive passion was not correlated with negative emotional outcomes, as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. These findings provide partial supportive evidence of the existence of the rigid persistence paradox. Results are discussed in terms of the acceptance of the dedication and hours of deliberate practice needed to: a) compete at International level and b) become a professional sportsperson. Implications for sports performers and coaches, and future research suggestions, are discussed.

Background. The increasing diversity of students, particularly in age,a ttending university has s... more Background. The increasing diversity of students, particularly in age,a ttending university has seen ac oncomitant interest in factors predicting academic success.

Research has shown that psychological skills training can be effective in enhancing athletes' per... more Research has shown that psychological skills training can be effective in enhancing athletes' performance and positively influencing cognitive and affective states (cf. . However, to date, little work has been conducted investigating such processes with adolescent high-performing swimmers. The present study examined the effects of a 7-week psychological skills training (PST) program on competitive swimming performance and positive psychological development. Thirty-six national level swimmers (13 boys, 23 girls; M = 13.9 years old) followed a PST program for 45 minutes per week. The intervention consisted of goal setting, visualization, relaxation, concentration, and thought stopping. Performance times were obtained from official meets. Participants completed seven inventories measuring quality of performance, and six positive psychological attributes: mental toughness, hardiness, self-esteem, self-efficacy, dispositional optimism, and positive affectivity. Findings demonstrated that there was a significant post-PST program improvement in three separate swimming strokes, each over 200 m. Non-significant improvements were shown in 10 other events. There was also an overall significant improvement in participants' post-intervention positive psychological profiles.

The relation between nationality and selected indicators of psychological performance in rugby le... more The relation between nationality and selected indicators of psychological performance in rugby league football was examined. Mental toughness was assessed using the alternative Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI-A) and hardiness using the Personal Views Survey III-R (PVS III-R). Participants (N = 49, M age = 21.7 yr., SD = 2.3) were male elite-level university rugby league footballers representing Australia and Great Britain. Participants completed the questionnaires in training camp in Sydney, Australia, one week prior to the commencement of an international tournament there in 2006. Multivariate analyses revealed that the Australian Universities players had significantly higher mean scores on Positive Cognition, Visualization, Total Mental Toughness, and Challenge than their opponents from Great Britain. The Australian Universities players were also the tournament winners. The findings concur with previous research indicating superior mental toughness and hardiness are related to successful sport performance. Practical implications focus on the potentiality of ameliorative cultural environments.

International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2010

Perceptual and motor skills, 2003

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2007

International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2009

Personality and Individual Differences, 2007

Journal of Experiential Education, 2006

European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2009

Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2009

The relation between nationality and selected indicators of psychological performance in rugby le... more The relation between nationality and selected indicators of psychological performance in rugby league football was examined. Mental toughness was assessed using the alternative Psychological Performance Inventory (PPI-A) and hardiness using the Personal Views Survey III-R (PVS III-R). Participants (N = 49, M age = 21.7 yr., SD = 2.3) were male elite-level university rugby league footballers representing Australia and Great Britain. Participants completed the questionnaires in training camp in Sydney, Australia, one week prior to the commencement of an international tournament there in 2006. Multivariate analyses revealed that the Australian Universities players had significantly higher mean scores on Positive Cognition, Visualization, Total Mental Toughness, and Challenge than their opponents from Great Britain. The Australian Universities players were also the tournament winners. The findings concur with previous research indicating superior mental toughness and hardiness are related to successful sport performance. Practical implications focus on the potentiality of ameliorative cultural environments.