Resilience in elite sport and at work – A comparative analysis among German elite athletes and employees

Westmattelmann D, Hossiep R, Bruckes M, Schewe G

Zusammenfassung

Objective The first purpose was to examine and compare the different levels of resilience for elite athletes and employees. Second, we investigated the relationship between resilience and personality traits for both groups. Finally, we explored how resilience is linked to sporting success. Design Cross-sectional, self-report survey. Method A total of 720 participants (mean age = 28.59, SD = 22.02, males = 51.7%, 256 elite athletes, 132 dual students, and 332 employees) were surveyed and completed scales about resilience, personality traits, and sporting success. Analysis of variance to identify mean level differences between groups and regression analysis to examine the effect of resilience on sporting success. Results The group of athletes shows significantly higher levels of resilience than the groups of dual students and employees. We find positive relationships between resilience and all considered personality traits but find that the level of correlations varies. Resilience is rather a prerequisite for top-level sports participation than a predictor for sporting success.