Investigation of social self-efficacy,cognitiveflexibility,and mental resilience levels among students in the Faculty of Sport Sciences

The primary aim of this study was to determine the levels of social selfefficacy, cognitive flexibility, and mental toughness among students enrolled in Faculties of Sport Sciences and to examine the relationships between these psychological constructs. The study employed a quantitative research design and utilized the relational survey model, which aims to identify the associations between two or more variables. The sample consisted of 1017 students (606 male, 411 female) studying in Faculties of Sport Sciences at various public and private universities in Turkey recognized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), selected through a convenience sampling method. Data were collected using the Social Self-Efficacy Scale (SOYÖ), the Cognitive Flexibility Scale (CFS), and the Mental Toughness Scale (MTS), and subsequently analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 software. The statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The results revealed that demographic variables such as gender, marital status, and licensed athlete status did not produce statistically significant differences in the measured psychological variables. Similarly, variables such as age group, academic year, and weekly duration of physical activity did not show significant differences across groups. However, SEM analysis indicated that cognitive flexibility significantly predicted mental toughness through the mediating role of self-efficacy, with both direct and indirect effects found to be statistically significant and strong. These findings suggest that cognitive flexibility and selfefficacy play a supportive role in enhancing mental toughness, and that these constructs should be prioritized in intervention programs aimed at improving the psychological resilience of university students.