Thesis:

The effect of positive motivational self-talk on mental toughness٫ self-esteem and self-efficacy of male students in the first year of high school in Sabzevar city ۲۰۲۳-۲۰۲۴.

The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating the effect of positive motivational self-talk on mental toughness, self-esteem and self-efficacy of male athletes in the first year of high school in Sabzevar city in 2023-2024. The present study was a quasi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design with two control and experimental groups, the statistical population of which was formed by all the male students of the first year of high school in Sabzevar city in the academic year of 2014-2014, out of which 30 people volunteered from The football school of the city was selected and then the statistical sample was randomly replaced in two experimental and control groups. After determining the desired groups, a pre-test was taken from both groups. Then the experimental group received positive motivational self-talk during 6 sessions of 90 minutes (three sessions per week), and the control group remained on the waiting list. After finishing the program, both groups were given a post-test. The tools used included Sheard and Golbi's Mental Toughness Scale (2009), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem (1965) and Sahraian Sports Self-Efficacy, Vaez Mousavi and Khabeiri (2015). The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (univariate and multivariate analysis of covariance) with the help of SPSS 24 software. The results showed that positive motivational self-talk had a significant effect on the mental toughness, self-esteem and self-efficacy of male athletes in the first year of high school in Sabzevar city in 2023-2024 (p<0.05).

Keywords: Positive motivational self-talk, mental toughness, self-esteem, self-efficacy