Mental Toughness Questionnaire

What it measures

Measures mental toughness across the 4Cs model: Control (sense of control over life and emotions), Commitment (goal-setting, keeping promises), Challenge (viewing problems as opportunities), and Confidence (belief in one's abilities). Mental toughness predicts performance under pressure, resilience, and wellbeing across sport and occupational contexts.

Response format

Likert (1–5, strongly disagree to strongly agree)

Representative items

• I generally feel in control of my life. (Control)
• I really try to stick to my goals. (Commitment)
• I often view problems as opportunities. (Challenge)
• I generally feel confident in my own abilities. (Confidence)
• I feel comfortable in most social situations. (Interpersonal Confidence)

This is a licensed instrument — representative items are shown for reference only. Obtain the original scale materials from the publisher before use in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Four subscale scores and total. MTQ48 requires licensing from AQR International. A shorter MTQ18 is also available. Widely used in elite sport, military, and high-performance occupational research.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Clough, P., Earle, K., & Sewell, D. (2002). Mental toughness: The concept and its measurement. In I. Cockerill (Ed.), Solutions in sport psychology (pp. 32–43). Thomson Learning.

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