Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Kinesiology

Supervisor

Dr. Craig Hall

Abstract

The general purpose of this dissertation was to develop a psychometrically sound measure of coach identity prominence. This dissertation was divided into three manuscripts. The first manuscript was designed to gain a more in-depth understanding of the coach identity. Coaches (n = 8) participated in semi-structured interviews and answered questions pertaining to the meanings and prominence of the coach identity. Participants’ responses were used to create the initial 20 items of the Coach Identity Prominence Scale (CIPS).

Manuscript 2 included three studies; item generation and pilot study, Study 1, and Study 2. The item generation and pilot study was designed to investigate the technical qualities and the content validity of the CIPS items. Six construct and 10 context specialists served as participants in this study. Based on participants’ responses, 13 items that were deemed technically sound and demonstrated adequate content validity were selected to serve as the CIPS items. Study 1 and Study 2 assessed the reliability and factorial validity of the CIPS items. Additionally, Study 2 investigated the group invariance, concurrent validity, and nomological validity of the CIPS items. Coach participants in Study 1 (n = 343) and Study 2 (n = 454) completed the CIPS, while participants in Study 2 also completed a measure of commitment (Raedeke, 2004). The results of both studies demonstrated evidence of reliability and factorial validity of participants’ scores on the CIPS. Based on the results of Study 1, eight items were selected and were assigned to one of the two subscales (centrality, 5 items; evaluative emotions, 3 items). The findings of Study 2 also provided support for group invariance and the nomological validity of the CIPS items, and partial support for the concurrent validity of the CIPS.

Manuscript 3 examined predictive validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. A varied sample of coaches (n = 336) completed the CIPS, the Coach Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ; McLean, Mallet, & Newcombe, 2012) and Vallerand et al’s Passion Scale (2003). The findings presented in Manuscript 3 provided support for the three types of validity tested.

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