Abstract

Mental toughness is recognized as a critical psychological attribute that enables athletes to cope effectively with pressure, maintain focus, and persist through challenges. The psychological and sociocultural factors contribute to the development and sustenance of mental toughness. In this context, motivational religiosity, conceptualized as the use of religious beliefs and practices as a source of confidence and personal strength, is considered a potential influential factor, particularly among athletes facing the demands of competitive sport. This study investigates the relationship between motivational religiosity (MR) and mental toughness (MT) in competitive athletes, with an attention to the moderating roles of sports experience and education level, as well as the mediating roles of athletic identity (AI) and self-efficacy (SE). A total of 420 athletes (Mage= 21.26; SD=7.74) from diverse sporting disciplines participated in this quantitative cross-sectional study. Statistical analyses were conducted using PROCESS Macro for SPSS. Using double moderation analysis, the results indicated that MR was a significant positive predictor of MT. However, the strength of this relationship was moderated by both sport experience and educational attainment; notably, the association was weaker among athletes with greater experience and higher levels of education. Furthermore, a parallel multiple mediation analysis revealed that both AI and SE mediated the MR–MT relationship, with SE emerging as the stronger mediator. These findings suggest that MR may bolster MT by reinforcing athletic identity and perceived competence. The study contributes to the literature on the psychology of religion in sport by highlighting the interplay between contextual factors and psychological mechanisms that shape how religiosity influences athlete resilience. Future research should examine how motivational religiosity interacts with other psychological traits and investigate longitudinally whether faith-based interventions may actively contribute to the development of mental toughness over time.