Self-efficacy and resilience: differences between fitness/bodybuilding athletes and non-athletes

Abstract

The study of self-efficacy and resilience is a challenge for sports psychology, favoring in the athlete the development of mental strength, control and improvement of performance. The objective of this research is to analyze the degree of self-efficacy and the level of resilience of the subjects. It is verified if there are significant differences in these variables, depending on sex, sports practice of fitness or bodybuilding and the absence of practice. This descriptive and cross-sectional study carry out using a sample of 179 people residing in Spain, between 18 and 69 years old (51.4% are men and 48.6% women; 58,1% bodybuilders or fitness people and 41,9% didn’t do any type of sports practice). The Baessler and Schwarzer (1996) General Self-Efficacy Scale is used to measure self-efficacy and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC10) to measure resilience. The results obtained show, according to sex, that men present higher values ​​in resilience and self-efficacy than women and, according to sport activity, that bodybuilders and fitness practitioners present better perceptions of self-efficacy, although not of resilience, than those who don´t do any sport. In conclusion, the variability of resilience and its dimensions depending on the sport practiced is demonstrated, showing the weakest resilient factors that should be developed to improve sports performance in adverse situations.