Factor Structure of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale with Athletes with Disabilities

Abstract

Individuals who perceive themselves as “athletes” are thought to have self-schemas composed of, in part, an athletic identity (Brewer, Van Raalte, & Linder, 1993). The recent development of the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) has allowed sport psychology researchers to assess athletic identity. Research with adolescent athletes with disabilities has suggested that the AIMS is composed of 4 factors (Martin, Mushett, & Eklund, 1994). The purpose of the current study was to further examine the psychometric properties of the AIMS. Seventy-eight international swimmers (34 females, 44 males) with disabilities, ranging in age from 12 to 44 (M = 23.4 years), participated in the present study. Using structural equation modeling procedures, a confirmatory factor analysis determined that the data fit the 4-factor model specified in the Martin et al. (1994) study, thus providing support for the multidimensionality of the AIMS.