Exploring and Developing a Scale Using Item Response Theory for Sport Psychological Skills in Speed Skaters

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a sports psychological skills scale for speed skaters and examine the validity of the scale. In order to accomplish the purpose of this study, skaters from around the world were set as a population, and then data from 456 athletes were collected using convenience sampling from the athletes participating in the 2020–2022 World Championships and the Beijing Winter Olympics. For analysis, V coefficient, Parallel Analysis, Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling, Maximum Likelihood CFA, and analysis of Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis were carried out by using WINSTEPS 3.65 and MPLUS 7.04 programs. The level of statistical significance was all set at α = 0.05 and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling, Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling, Maximum Likelihood CFA, and Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis fit used TLI, RMSEA, the concept of reliability. The findings of the study were as follows: First, the factorial structure of SPSS was extracted as five factors with 17 items. Second, the analysis of MCFA on the transformative leadership scale, according to gender differences, was carried out, and cross validity was fulfilled.