A Comparative Study of Mental Limits and Ego Inflation amongst Male and Female Students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Al-Nusoor University

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify differences between male and female students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Al-Nusoor University, in terms of the variables of mental limits and self-aggrandisement. The researcher adopted a descriptive approach using comparative studies, as this was deemed appropriate for the nature and objectives of the research. The research population comprised 124 third-year students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences at Al-Nusoor University for the academic year 2025–2026, whilst the final research sample comprised 80 students (60 male and 20 female), representing 64.52 per cent of the research population. The researcher used the Mental Limits Scale and the Self-Grandiosity Scale developed by Al-Hashimi (2025), after verifying their face validity and reliability. The data were analysed statistically using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), relying on the arithmetic mean, standard deviation, percentage, coefficient of variation, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, the Spearman–Brown equation, and the t-test for two independent samples. The results showed that the research sample scored highly on the variables of mental boundaries and self-aggrandisement compared with the hypothetical means for the two scales. The results also indicated statistically significant differences between male and female students in the mental boundaries variable, favouring the male students, whilst no statistically significant differences were found between them in the self-aggrandisement variable. In light of the results, the researcher concluded that male students at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Sciences have a higher level of mental boundaries than female students, whilst male and female students are comparable in terms of self-aggrandisement. The researcher recommended paying attention to the psychological well-being of the faculty’s students through psychological counselling programmes, organising educational programmes that contribute to the development of mental boundaries and the enhancement of self-awareness, as well as conducting similar studies linking the variables of mental boundaries and self-aggrandisement to other psychological and educational variables.