AUTHOR=Xu Yiguo , Tian Wenhao 

TITLE=The effect of team cohesion on mental toughness: a mediation and moderation mixed study based on COR theory

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1655398

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1655398

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms through which team cohesion, social support, and self-identity influence athletes’ mental toughness, grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory.MethodsA total of 523 valid questionnaires were collected from athletes aged 16–35 years using the Team Cohesion Scale, Social Support Scale, Self-Identity Scale, and Mental Toughness Scale. The collected data was validated through correlation analysis, regression analysis, and other methods.Results(1) Team cohesion has a significant positive effect on athletes’ mental toughness. (2) Team cohesion influences mental toughness both directly and indirectly through the mediating roles of social support and self-identity, encompassing three mediation pathways: social support alone, self-identity alone, and a chained mediation through both social support and self-identity.ConclusionTeam cohesion not only directly enhances athletes’ mental toughness but also indirectly influences it through the independent and chained mediating effects of social support and self-identity. Future interventions could focus on enhancing team cohesion to increase athletes’ social support and strengthen their self-identity, thereby improving mental toughness.