Development and initial validation of the Life Skills Scale for Sport – Transfer Scale (LSSS-TS)

Abstract

ObjectivesThe aim of this research was to develop and provide initial validity and reliability evidence for a scale that assesses life skills transfer from sport. MethodTwo studies were conducted to develop the Life Skills Scale for Sport – Transfer Scale (LSSS-TS). Study 1 involved a review of the literature investigating life skills transfer and resulted in the development of 88 initial items representing six key transfer areas: school/education, home/family, community, social settings, employment, and other life domains. During this study, the content validity of the items was endorsed by 10 experts and a pilot study conducted with 72 participants provided further validity evidence for the scale and an assessment of its use in practice. Study 2 included 321 youth sport participants and refined the scale further using the results of factor analysis and descriptive statistics. ResultsStudy 1 resulted in the development of the initial 64-item LSSS-TS and provided content validity evidence for all items. Study 2 led to the refinement of the scale to 40-items and supported the factor structure and internal consistency reliability of the scale. ConclusionsCollectively, these studies provided initial evidence for the validity and reliability of the LSSS-TS; a measure which can be used by researchers and practitioners to assess participants' perceived life skills transfer from sport to other domains.