Tough Teams and Optimistic Individuals: The Intersecting Roles of Group and Individual Attributes in Helping to Predict Physical Performance

Abstract

This study tested the effects of individual and group-level characteristics on performance during a mandatory and challenging physical education course at the United States Military Academy (USMA). We focused on attributes related to mental toughness, and examined both self-report and utilized an other-rating scale that measures mental toughness-related characteristics and is important to USMA generally. We examined course scores for 5,581 first-year students over five academic years, accounted for background physical fitness, and determined how mental toughness attributes at the group and individual-level contributed to overall course score and scores on constituent events (e.g. obstacle course, rope climbing). Self-reported optimism, self-reported resilience, and mental toughness items from a peer rating scale, but not self-reported grit, significantly improved course performance. The average score across class section on optimism or the peer rating scale also positively covaried with course score, over and above the individual-level impact of that attribute. Analyses of individual events demonstrated that “group-level character” was important for some events, whereas individual attributes were most important for others. Findings suggested an emergent group character capable of influencing individual physical performance scores. Being a member of a tough group may have comparable effects to individual mental toughness.

Keywords:

• Education
• motivation
• personality
• social interaction
• training and development

Acknowledgements

We sincerely thank the Department of Physical Education at USMA and the rest of the Project Arete team for their help and support.

Disclosure Statement

This manuscript or its analyses have not been published in any part or capacity and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. While the survey data collection (e.g. grit self-report) is part of a longitudinal investigation as described in the methods, these analyses and the primary outcome variables under consideration (course performance scores as a function of individual and group predictors) have not been published elsewhere nor are they under consideration elsewhere. We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Notes

1 Demographic identifiers used were those collected by USMA, which use male or female to identify gender, and the following options for race/ethnicity: White/Caucasian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, American Indian, and Other. Race and ethnicity are indicated together via this item.

2 USMA allows students to drop classes throughout in the semester and practices grade replacement in the GPA, so whether struggling students drop or fail and then re-take the course is due to nuisance variables such as concurrent classload. Using first attempt data, rather than best, creates a bias toward fewer and better-performing students in later course events, since struggling students have dropped the class.

3 There is also a physical GPA each semester that is included in the rank calculation, but the course under consideration is a part of that score, so including physical GPA in the prediction of military movement course score would be redundant.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was supported by a grant from the Templeton Religion Trust (to Richard M. Lerner).

Notes on contributors

Hillary S. Schaefer

Hillary S. Schaefer is a Research Assistant Professor at Tufts University. Her research interests involve the intersection of social-emotional, physical, and cognitive development, in a positive youth development framework.

Nicholas H. Gist

Nicholas H. Gist is the Head of the Department of Physical Education at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. He is responsible for the leader development of future Army officers in West Point's Physical Program, and his research interests include high-intensity interval training.

Kevin Bigelman

Kevin Bigelman is an active duty Army officer serving as the U.S. Army's Director for Holistic Health and Fitness. His research interests include body composition and musculoskeletal injury reduction.

Jeffrey D. Coelho

Jeffrey D. Coelho is Director of Instruction in the Department of Physical Education at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. His research and teaching interests include students' perceptions of physical education, curriculum development, and qualitative assessment.

Eliot S. Proctor

Eliot S. Proctor is a former instructor of the Military Movement course, and is an active duty Army officer currently serving at Joint Base Lewis McChord. His research interests include physical performance, performance assessments, and national level health policy.

Richard M. Lerner

Richard M. Lerner is the Bergstrom Chair in Applied Developmental Science and the Director of the Institute of Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University.