U LUSLARARASI B EDEN E Ğİ T İ M İ S POR VE T EKNOLOJ İ LER İ D ERG İ S İ I NT J OURNAL OF P HYSICAL E DUCATION S PORT AND T ECHNOLOGIES Geliş Tarihi/Received: 15.09.2021 Kabul Tarihi/Accepted: 22.12.2021 Yayın Tarihi/Published Online: 31.12.2021 Sorumlu Yazar/Corresponding Author pskselman@gmail.com ÖZGÜN MAKALE ∙ ORIGINAL ARTICLE EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS IN ATHLETES IN TERMS OF VARIOUS VARIABLES* Selman ORHAN 1 , Cengiz KARAGÖZOĞLU 2 1 Marmara University, Institute of Health Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey. 0000-0002-1225-5161 2 Marmara University, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Istanbul, Turkey. 0000-0003-3959-4478 Abstract : The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between emotional intelligence and mental toughness in athletes in terms of branch type, gender and being national teaam athlete. The research’s model was relational screening model and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique was used to analyze data. The data were analyzed by type of branch, gender and being national team athlete and t test was used for the analysis. Correlational analysis for the relation and emotional intelligence’s indication of mental toughness and ANOVA for multiple groups comparison were used. A total of 496 athletes, aged 18-40 (Meanage=22.50±5.08 yrs), who were either amateurs or professionals participated in the study voluntarily (individual athletes, n=208; team sports athletes, n=288). “Personal Information Form,” “Revised Schutte Emotional Intelligence Scale” and “The Mental Toughness Questionnaire” were used as data collection tools. As a result of the analysis of the data, the regression coefficient between the emotional intelligence and mental toughness is found to be 0,52 (p<.01). A statistical difference was found by the type of branch, gender and being national team athlete (p<.05). In the sub-dimensions of emotional intelligence, the average score of individual athletes were found to be significantly higher than the avarage score of team athletes in the sub-dimensions of evaluation of emotions and using of emotions. In confidence sub-dimension as to mental toughness, the average score of team athletes was higher than the average score of individual athletes. The emotional intelligence indicated that the mental toughness in individual and team athletes, and emotional intelligence verified mental toughness as a significant and positive factor by explaining 27% of the total variance. As a result, it was determined that emotional intelligence positively predicted mental toughness in individual athletes, but it had no effect on mental toughness in team athletes. It has been determined that some sub-dimensions of emotional intelligence and mental toughness differ according to age groups. Keywords : Emotional Intelligence, Mental Toughness, Individual Athlete, Team Athlete Citation : Orhan, S. & Karagözoğlu, C. (2021). Evaluation of the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Mental Toughness in Athletes in Terms of Various Variables. International Journal of Physical Education Sport and Technologies 2(2), 11-26. *Bu çalışma, Prof. Dr. Cengiz KARAGÖZOĞLU danışmanlığında Marmara Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü bünyesinde tamamlanan “Bireysel Sporcular ve Takım Sporcularında Duygusal Zekâ ve Zihinsel Dayanıklılık İlişkisi” isimli yüksek lisans t ezinden üretilmiştir.