Development and Psychometric Testing of the Dogs and WalkinG Survey (DAWGS)

Purpose

Dog owners represent 40% of the population, a promising audience to increase population levels of physical activity. The purpose of this study was to develop and test the psychometric properties of a new instrument to assess social-cognitive theory constructs related to dog walking.

Method

Dog owners (N = 431) completed the Dogs and WalkinG Survey (DAWGS). Survey items assessed dog-walking behaviors and self-efficacy, social support, outcome expectations, and outcome expectancies for dog walking. Test–retest reliability was assessed among 252 (58%) survey respondents who completed the survey twice. Factorial validity and factorial invariance by age and walking level were tested using confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

DAWGS items demonstrated moderate test–retest reliability (ρ = .39–.79; k = .41–.89). Acceptable model fit was found for all subscales. All subscales were invariant by age and walking level, except self-efficacy, which showed mixed evidence of invariance.

Conclusions

The DAWGS is a psychometrically sound instrument for examining individual and interpersonal correlates of dog walking.     

Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation Scale (PHORS): Reliability,Validity and Invariance

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Perceived Health Outcomes of Recreation Scale (PHORS). Data for PHORS were collected from three different trail sites (Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and First Landing State Park) during three separate time periods, allowing for cross-validation and invariance testing. Exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses, and invariance testing procedures were conducted. The results indicate that PHORS, with 13 items across three underlying factors, showed high reliability and strong evidences of validity. Full configural and metric invariance indicated the factor loading pattern. The measurement properties of PHORS were generally invariant across recreation participants using different trails, situating PHORS as a potential instrument that can be used in various outdoor recreation trail settings.     

An Examination and Validation of an Adapted Youth Experience Scale for University Sport

Limited tools assess positive development through university sport. Such a tool was validated in this investigation using two independent samples of Canadian university athletes. In Study 1, 605 athletes completed 99 survey items drawn from the Youth Experience Scale (YES 2.0), and separate a priori measurement models were evaluated (i.e., 99 items, YES 2.0, YES for Sport [YES-S]). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) results indicated issues with model fit. Post-hoc modifications improved fit, resulting in a 46-item, 9-factor model with five positive and four negative dimensions. In Study 2, 511 athletes completed the same items. The resultant model was confirmed using both CFA (comparative fit index [CFI] = .911, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = .056, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .040) and ESEM (CFI = .956, SRMR = .023, RMSEA = .034). The resultant University Sport Experience Survey provides a reliable and factorially valid instrument for measuring development in university sport.     

Factorial and convergent validity of the Exercise Identity Scale in a German adult sample

The purpose of the present study was to examine the factorial and convergent validity of the German translation of the Exercise Identity Scale (EIS; Anderson & Cychosz, 1994). We introduce a bifactor model as a possible alternative to the previously discussed one- and two-factor models. Using an online study with 530 participants, our results suggest that the EIS should be considered a unidimensional measure. For this one-factor model, temporal invariance (time interval: 2 weeks) and invariance between men and women could be established. Relations to similar constructs were in the expected directions. We provide a psychometrically sound German version of the EIS, which demonstrated factorial and convergent validity in this study. The use of the scale in German samples is likely to advance research on exercise adoption and maintenance by integrating the exercise identity construct.     

Factor Structure and Measurement Invariance of the Intragroup Conflict Scale: Validation in Athletic Trainer and Coach Populations

ABSTRACT

The purposes of this study were to examine the factorial validity of the six-item Intragroup Conflict Scale (ICS) in athletic trainer (AT) and coach populations and to examine measurement invariance by gender and profession. A total of 195 ATs and 615 head or assistant coaches working at secondary schools or National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institutions completed the ICS. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis procedures in LISREL 10 (Student Edition). Results supported the reliability and validity of the two-factor ICS model among ATs and coaches. Strict measurement invariance was observed when comparing male to female AT responses. Strong measurement invariance was observed when comparing male to female coach responses, as well as AT to coach responses. These data not only support the reliability and validity of the ICS for use in AT and coach populations but also support direct comparisons of mean scores across gender or profession.