Measuring eudaimonic wellbeing in sport: Validation of the Eudaimonic Wellbeing in Sport Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to create and validate a sport-specific eudaimonic wellbeing measure (EWBSS; Eudaimonic Wellbeing in Sport Scale) and included three phases. In Phase 1, an initial pool of 19 items was developed and five items were selected by five experts to represent eudaimonic wellbeing in sport (EWBSS). Four hundred athletes (Mage = 24.32, SD = 6.69) from various individual and team sports participated in Phase 2. Factorial validity and reliability scores were examined using confirmatory factor analysis and alpha coefficient calculations. Results indicated initial evidence for both factorial validity and internal consistency of the EWBSS. In Phase 3, further psychometric testing of the EWBSS with two independent samples (i.e., competitive and recreational athletes) ensued. The findings provided further evidence of sound validity and reliability scores of the EWBSS in competitive athletes. Partial support for the psychometric properties of the EWBSS was provided in recreational athletes. As the validation of an instrument is an ongoing process, more research is needed to further evaluate the validity of the EWBSS.