International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

ABSTRACT Background: Mental toughness enables athletes to endure adversity and persist through difficult competitive situations, and it is widely regarded as a significant determinant of athletic performance. However, research examining the relationship between mental toughness, imagery, and self-efficacy among athletes at the secondary education level remains limited, particularly within the Nigerian context.
Objective: This study examined the association between imagery and self-efficacy on the mental toughness of secondary school athletes in South-west Nigeria. Methods: The Psycho-neuromuscular Theory and the Triple Code Theory provided the theoretical framework for the study, and a correlational research design was adopted. A total of 360 respondents were selected from a population of 1,213 athletes through a multistage sampling procedure, via Yamane’s 1967 Formula. Data were collected using the Sport Imagery Questionnaire for Children (SIQ-C) (? = 0.72), the Self-efficacy Scale (? = 0.74), and the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (? = 0.71). Descriptive statistics (frequency counts and percentages) were used to summarise demographic data, while Pearson Product-Moment Correlation and multiple regression were used to test the study hypotheses. Results: Findings revealed a significant relationship between imagery variables, self-efficacy variables, and mental toughness [F(2, 357) = 143.064, R = .667 and R² = .445, motivational general-mastery (? = .107, t = 2.161, p < .05), motivational general-arousal (? = .302, t = 6.535, p < .05), cognitive-specific imagery (? = .218, t = 4.094, p < .05), and cognitive-general imagery (? = .275, t = 5.426, p < .05) had a significant individual contribution on mental toughness, whereas motivational-specific imagery did not (? = -.017, t = -0.500, p > .05)].
Conclusion: The study concludes that there exists a substantial and predictive association between imagery and self-efficacy and secondary school athletes' mental toughness.
Unique Contribution: This study fills a gap by providing insights into how imagery and self-efficacy jointly shape secondary school athletes' mental toughness in the Sub-Saharan African context. Key Recommendations: It is recommended that coaches and sport psychologists organise periodic intervention training programmes for secondary school student-athletes to preserve and strengthen their self-efficacy and imagery capacities.