OPENNESS TO EXPERIENCE, NEUROTICISM AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS IN TRAINEE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGISTS: MEDIATING ROLE OF PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT

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Fatima Javed, Muhammad Nasar Iqbal, Shahyan Qamar

Abstract

Background: Mental toughness is the ability to deal with stressors, challenges and pressures in difficult situation. Personality traits contribute in dealing with situation and role of social support enhance the ability of mental toughness.


Objective: To know about the Mental Toughness in Openness to Experience and Neuroticism personality trait people and the role of perceived social support among trainee clinical psychologists.


Methodology: The correlation research design was used to collect data and the sample of study was recruited through purposive sampling technique. The sample was consisted of (N=161) Trainee Clinical Psychologists (females). Big Five Inventory (John & Srivastava, 1999), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), and Mental Toughness Questionnaire (Dagnal et al., 2019) were used to collect data.


Results: Results indicated significant positive correlation among Openness to Experience and and Mental Toughness, whereas significant negative correlation was seen between Neuroticism and Mental Toughness. A significant positive correlation was present between Perceived Social Support and Mental Toughness. Multiple regression analysis revealed that Openness to Experience and Perceived Social Support were significant positive predictors of Mental Toughness, whereas Neuroticism was found as a significant negative predictor of Mental Toughness.


Conclusion: This study demonstrated that trainee clinical psychologists who are open minded towards new experiences are more mentally tough however trainee clinical psychologists with higher level of emotional instability have lower level of mental toughness.

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