RESUMEN
Mental toughness (MT), a construct linked to high-stress performance, is predominantly studied via self-assessment in cross-sectional designs. In the firefighting context, where no dedicated MT instrument exists, the Sports Mental Toughness Questionnaire (SMTQ) and the Military Training Mental Toughness Inventory (MTMTI) have been used. However, their reliability and concurrent validity remain unexamined. This study employs a two-wave longitudinal design involving sixty-two male firefighters. Over two days, they completed the SMTQ, while colleagues and officers assessed their MT using the MTMTI. Analyses included concurrent validity and inter-rater reliability tests. Inter-rater reliability exhibited minimal agreement (Day 1: κ = 0.04, p = 0.172; Day 2: κ = 0.05, p = 0.063), low internal consistency (Day 1: α = 0.03, ω = 0.03; Day 2: α = 0.45, ω = 0.45), and weak inter-rater correlations (Day 1: ICC2k < 0.001, 95%CI [-0.53, 0.35]; Day 2: ICC2k = 0.13, 95%CI [-0.33, 0.43]). Concurrent validity showed limited correlations between self-assessed SMTQ scores and MTMTI ratings on both days (Day 1: r = -0.09, p = 0.5; Day 2: r = 0.1, p = 0.5). These findings may underscore the necessity to develop firefighting-specific MT tools, recognizing the unique demands and nuances of this high-stress profession.
RESUMEN
Physical ability test (PAT) evaluates firefighters' (FF) occupational capacity. The contribution of anaerobic systems during PAT and mental toughness (MT) relationship to PAT is unexplored. PAT modeling based on anaerobic fitness (AF), MT, and respective relationships were examined. Fourteen male FFs (Age: 29.0 ± 7.0 years) completed a PAT composed of occupationally-specific tasks in full gear. On a separate day, a series of AF assessments were performed (handgrip-dynamometry: HG; vertical-jump: VJ; Margaria-Kalamen: MK; 300-yard shuttle run: 300YD). MT was evaluated using military training MT inventory (MTMTI) and sports MT questionnaire (SMTQ). We tested the PAT model using multiple backward regression and related correlations coefficients at p < 0.05. A 78% proportion of PAT was explained by AF parameters (F2,13 = 20.2, <0.05). PAT was significantly correlated with HG (r = -0.71, p < 0.01), VJ (r = -0.73, p < 0.01), MK (r = -0.75, p < 0.01), and with 300YD (r = 0.60, p < 0.05). MT did not demonstrate significant correlation with PAT (p > 0.01). Anaerobic system significantly contributes to PAT performance. FFs should optimize AF training, which would allow for enhanced occupational performance in PAT. Further investigation into psychological determinants of FFs is recommended.