Measuring Sisu: Development of a Tool to Measure Mental Toughness in Academia

Sisu is a Finnish term loosely translated as endurance or resilience in the face of adversity. In the athletic arena, the construct of Mental Toughness (MT) similarly describes the ability of some top athletes to overcome challenge and persist. We sought to measure sisu, or mental toughness, within an academic context in an effort to understand if mental toughness may be one of the missing puzzle pieces in understanding individual differences in persistence in STEM majors and careers. Exploratory factor analysis yielded similar constructs underlying academic MT as compared to athletic MT. This preliminary research provides the first step in creating a reliable and valid tool to assess MT in academics. Further research establishing the reliability and validity of this construct is warranted given the finding that several MT factor correlations with academic self- efficacy existed. We believe the ability to identify and quantify one’s MT will serve as an important variable in understanding individual differences in challenging situations.