Spanish adaptation and validation of the Automatic Self-Talk Questionnaire for Sports

Abstract

This paper presents the Spanish adaptation of the Automatic Self-Talk Questionnaire for Sports. In the process of adaptation, we preferred cultural and linguistic equivalence to literal translation. Therefore, we gathered qualitative evidence based on the judgements of a multidisciplinary group of experts (n = 6) and focus groups (n = 10). Concerning cultural and linguistic equivalence, we found differences between the original and the adapted version in the editing of 16 items. Generally, these differences were deemed necessary to guarantee the cultural and metric equivalence between the original and the adapted version. As to the subsequent quantitative phase, data were obtained from 263 athletes from different sports and different levels (M_age = 20.30, SD = 3.08). The results showed acceptable levels of internal consistency (α values ranged from .70 to .83) and supported the original model of eight factors. In addition, a structural model including pre-competitive anxiety offered further evidence in regard to the link between self-talk and competitive anxiety. Lastly, some implications concerning the methodology are discussed.

Keywords:

• self-talk
• anxiety
• measurement
• athletes
• psychometrics

ORCID

Carme Viladrich http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7464-1455

Saül Alcaraz http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5720-8801

Miquel Torregrosa http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1117-9977

Notes

1. Please note that Zourbanos et al. (2009) originally used a Likert scale ranging between zero and four, based on recommendations published by Amsel and Fichten (1998). In this study, we decided to use a Likert scale ranging from one to five. On the one hand, we believed that Amsel and Fichten (1998) concluded in Study 1 of their publication that it was the anchor words of the response scale, rather than the values attached to the anchor words, that influenced the way participants responded. Therefore, we took special care to adapt the anchor words into Spanish so that the original idea remained unchanged. On the other hand, we opted to use similar end points for the ASTQS compared to the SAS-2 and to other important psychological measures used in sport psychology and translated into Spanish, such as the Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (Lonsdale, Hodge, & Rose, 2008; Vilardich et al., 2011) or the Subjective Vitality Scale (Balaguer, Castillo, García-Merita, & Mars, 2005; Ryan & Frederick, 1997). This was supposed to facilitate the future integration of the ASTQS into booklets assessing different constructs in sport psychology.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by grant Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (DEP2010–15561) and the Private EUSES Foundation.