The Social Motivational Orientations in Sport Scale (SMOSS): Validation for Portuguese Physical Education Students

Abstract

Social goals are increasingly seen as motivational factors for youth sports participation and can strongly motivate participation and engagement, not only in structured sports contexts but also in physical education (PE), given the opportunities for social interaction with peers and the presence of skills like communication, cooperation, and competition within groups. The Social Motivational Orientations in Sport Scale (SMOSS) measures three types of social goals in sports participation: affiliation, status, and recognition. The current study aimed to adapt and validate the SMOSS for the Portuguese context, using a sample of 460 PE students (14–19 years old, 58.9% female). The confirmatory factor analysis results supported the three-factor model (affiliation, recognition, and status), after excluding two items. This adapted 13-item SMOSS demonstrated invariance across genders and showed good internal consistency across its three dimensions. It also exhibited convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity. These findings indicate that the Portuguese version of the SMOSS is a valid and reliable instrument. It is now well suited for use by schools, teachers, and psychologists to effectively assess PE students’ social goals. Additionally, the SMOSS can assist in evaluating intervention programs aimed at enhancing students’ social motivation, thus contributing to more effective educational and developmental strategies in PE settings.