The adapted French version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS-FR): Evidence of validity and reliability and relationships with sport well-being.

BACKGROUND: Effectively managing their athletic and academic projects is a major challenge for student-athletes. The salience of the identity they develop in each of these contexts can affect their well-being and is therefore an important variable to consider. Examining these mechanisms in countries and student-athlete support systems other than the United States is also important. AIM: This study aims to both translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of a French version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale, the AAIS-FR, and to examine the additive and interactive relationships of the two identities with sport burnout and engagement. METHODS: Participants were 359 French student-athletes (50.42% female) who were competing at various levels (ranging from regional to international). RESULTS: Results from analyses using a slightly modified version of the original scale provided evidence of construct (i.e., factor structure) and concurrent (i.e., expected relationships between both identities and several correlates identified in previous work) validity, as well as reliability (i.e., internal consistency) and invariance across gender and sport competition levels of the AAIS-FR. In addition, regression analyses revealed a favourable relationship between athletic identity and sport well-being (i.e., positive with engagement and negative with burnout), no relationship between academic identity and sport well-being, and no interaction between the two identities. CONCLUSION: While further research is needed to provide additional evidence for the validity of the AAIS-FR, researchers can still use this tool to measure the salience of the two identities of French-speaking student-athletes.

Can we assess whether Ukrainians flourish? The Ukrainian translation of the flourishing scale.

The aim of this study was to translate the Flourishing Scale, which is a brief 8-item measure, into Ukrainian and examine its construct validity. The Flourishing Scale has been previously validated into various languages, including Russian. While Ukrainian is a distinct language with its unique characteristics, it shares some similarities with Russian due to historical and geographical connections. These similarities encompass words with similar or related meanings, comparable sentence structures, and certain cultural references and idiomatic expressions. Accordingly, the Ukrainian version of the Flourishing Scale was developed based on the Russian version. The translation process involved two proficient researchers fluent in Ukrainian, English, and Russian. Following the committee approach, one researcher conducted the initial translation, while the other ensured the accuracy and linguistic equivalence of the translated items. The eight items were pilot-tested with Ukrainian-speaking adult participants. Results from confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Ukrainian version of the Flourishing Scale showed evidence of construct validity and reliability, thereby resulting in a tool that can be used with Ukrainian adults to further examine their flourishing.•The Flourishing Scale was translated into Ukrainian and pilot-tested to assess it psychometric properties.•Results indicated good construct validity and reliability of the Ukrainian version of the Flourishing Scale.

University Students' Mindset and Effort Regulation Across the Domains of Nursing and English.

In this study, we examined and compared the beliefs of undergraduate nursing students at a healthcare-focused university in central Japan regarding their abilities to learn English and nursing and sustain effort in their studies. Specifically, the purposes of this research were to learn how Japanese nursing students' mindsets and effort regulation differed across the domains of English and nursing and to determine the extent to which mindsets can predict students' effort regulation in these domains. Data were collected through an online questionnaire (N = 132). We found that students' mindsets and effort regulation differed across the domains of English and nursing with no significant differences by year of study. Growth mindsets and effort regulation were significantly higher and fixed mindsets were significantly lower in nursing than in English. Mindsets in nursing were found to predict effort regulation in both nursing and English, but mindsets in English were found only to predict effort regulation in English. The findings offer valuable insights into the learning beliefs of Japanese nursing students and may provide ideas about how to better motivate nursing students in their studies. Furthermore, the study contributes to the understanding of how mindsets vary across domains and cultural contexts.

The grit scale: Psychometric properties of the Ukrainian translation.

The purpose of this work was to translate the Grit Scale into Ukrainian and to assess its construct validity and reliability. The original Grit Scale comprised 12 items, capturing two dimensions of grit: consistency of interest and perseverance of effort. The translation process involved two bilingual researchers utilizing the committee approach, ensuring accurate and linguistically equivalent translation. The translated items, along with instructions and response categories, are presented in this paper. Following pilot-testing with Ukrainian participants, two items were identified as having poor fit with the model and were subsequently removed. This process resulted in the 10-item Ukrainian version of the Grit Scale, which exhibited robust construct validity and reliability. Consequently, this version is considered a valid and reliable tool for assessing consistency of interests and perseverance of effort among Ukrainian adults.•We translated, adapted, and evaluated the psychometric properties of the Grit Scale in the Ukrainian language.•The Ukrainian version of the Grit Scale can be used to measure two dimensions of git: consistency of interests and perseverance of effort in Ukrainian adults.•However, further research is needed to strengthen the validation of this scale and its applicability in different contexts.

Development and validation of the Ukrainian version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS-UA).

The aim of this study was to translate, adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale - Ukrainian Version (AAIS-UA). This scale comprises 11 items designed to measure academic identity and athletic identity in college students participating in sports. The translation process involved a committee approach with two proficient scholars who are native to Ukraine and skilled in both Ukrainian and English languages. The validity and reliability of the AAIS-UA were examined using two datasets with a total of 268 collegiate student-athletes in Ukraine. The results demonstrated the validity and reliability of the AAIS-UA, indicating its usefulness as a valid and reliable tool for assessing academic and athletic identity among Ukrainian-speaking adults.•Student-athletes face responsibility of being a successful student and a successful athlete, which often results in strong identities in both domains. Given the need for a reliable tool to assess academic and athletic identity in the Ukrainian language, this study focused on translating and validating the Ukrainian Version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS-UA).•The Academic and Athletic Identity Scale - Ukrainian Version (AAIS-UA) consists of 11 items, with five items designed to measure academic identity and six items designed to measure athletic identity.•The AAIS-UA is a valid and reliable tool for assessing academic identity, athletic identity, or both among college students and/or athletes who are proficient in the Ukrainian language.

Thriving amidst adversity: Flourishing and grit in Ukrainian college students with strong life purpose before and after the onset of the Russian war in Ukraine.

This multi-study examined the role of life purpose in the well-being of Ukrainian university students before (Study 1) and during the Russian war in Ukraine (Study 2) during the 2021-22 academic year using a cross-sectional design. University students from a city highly affected by the war, a region which borders Russia, completed measures of sense of purpose in life (awakening to purpose, awareness to purpose, altruistic purpose), specific purpose orientations (others-growth, self-growth, career-focused), flourishing, and grit (consistency of interests, perseverance of effort). Structural equation modeling was used to test four alternative path models. In Study 1 (N = 159), flourishing was positively predicted by all measures of purpose, except for awareness of purpose, which was a negative but weak predictor. Similar to flourishing, both dimensions of grit were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, perseverance of effort was predicted positively by awakening to purpose. Consistent with Study 1, in Study 2 (N = 107), flourishing and perseverance of effort were positively predicted by career-focused purpose orientation above and beyond the overall sense of life purpose. Additionally, flourishing was positively predicted by awakening to purpose and others-growth purpose orientation. Overall, students with a strong life purpose reported high sense of flourishing and grit. Findings also highlighted the salient role of career-focused purpose orientation in students' well-being. It is thereby important to support students in exploring and connecting life's purpose with their career aspirations.

Examining the role of life purpose in high school students' self-esteem through structural equation modelling.

The aim of this study was to examine the extent to which high school students' sense of purpose explained variance their self-esteem. Life purpose is a multidimensional construct that encompasses long-term goals, commitments, and intentions to fulfill aspirations that are meaningful to self and have consequences for the world beyond-the-self. For this study, we explored the role of three distinct dimensions of awareness of purpose, awakening to purpose, and altruistic purpose in predicting students' self-esteem. High school students' (N = 234) between 14 and 18 years, completed surveys on self-esteem and sense of purpose. A structural model was tested, in which the three latent factors of awakening to purpose, awareness of purpose, and altruistic purpose were specified to predict a latent factor of self-esteem. Analyses were conducted using maximum likelihood estimation method. Findings showed that both awareness of purpose and altruistic purpose contributed positively to adolescents' self-esteem. Awakening to purpose, on the other hand, was not significantly related to adolescents' self-esteem once their awareness of purpose and altruistic purpose were taken into account. This study expanded the growing body of research on the role of purpose in contributing to school students' personal wellbeing and development. We have discussed the findings of this study and previous literature in the context of practical implications that could support school personnel, teachers, and counselors to engage in wellness-oriented approaches that could strengthen students' sense of purpose, and thereby their self-esteem.

Counseling students' experiences and interpretations of purpose development.

The aim of this study was to explore the lived experiences of counseling students regarding their development of sense of purpose in life and further seek their recommendations for fostering sense of purpose within educational settings. In this study, we have used pragmatism as our research paradigm and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) as our data analysis approach to gain deeper insights into the phenomenon of purpose development and further use the findings of this study to suggest specific purpose-strengthening educational approaches. Based on the interpretative phenomenological analysis, we identified five themes that revealed purpose development as a non-linear process that involves exploring, engaging with, reflecting upon, articulating, and actualizing one's purpose, and is influenced by both internal and external factors. In light of these findings, we discussed implications for counselor education programs that aspire to cultivate counseling students' sense of purpose in life as an important dimension for their personal wellness, which research has shown could further promote their professional development and career success.

The role of achievement goals and identity in academic performance and misconduct of college athletes: Considering sport-to-school spillover.

This study examined the role of achievement goal orientations (academic mastery and performance, athletic task and ego) and identity (academic and athletic) in the academic performance and misconduct of Division I student-athletes (N = 1151). Results of the structural equation modeling showed that academic performance was predicted positively by academic performance goal and academic identity (both directly and indirectly through performance goal) and negatively by athletic identity. Academic misconduct was predicted negatively by both self-referenced goals (academic mastery and athletic task), but positively by athletic ego goal. A positive indirect relationship was found between academic identity and academic misconduct through academic mastery goal. Opposing indirect relationships were found between athletic identity and academic misconduct through task and ego goals, which canceled each other out. Taken together, findings highlight the importance of fostering strong academic identities and setting self-referenced goals in school and sport for the academic success of Division I student-athletes.

Sense of life purpose is related to grades of high school students via academic identity.

The aim of this observational study was to examine the extent to which sense of life purpose of high school students was related to their grades directly and indirectly via academic identity. Two hundred and thirty-four high school students completed a survey with measures of sense of life purpose, academic identity, and grades. Results from structural equation modeling showed that the direct relationship between sense of life purpose and grades was non-significant. Yet, sense of life purpose was related to grades indirectly via academic identity. These findings indicated that high school students who have a clear sense of life purpose also have a strong academic identity, which is positively related to their grades. These structural relationships were mostly invariant across gender (male, female), grade level (sophomore, senior), and post-graduation plans (educational, non-educational), but also indicated that purpose played an important role in academic identity of high school students with non-educational goals. Overall, results indicated that life purpose can be salient to grades of high school students. The practical implication of this work is in encouraging school teachers, counselors, and other stakeholders to implement educational approaches, discussions, and interventions that can help students clarify and develop their sense of life purpose.

Measuring Specific Purpose Orientations in Working Adults.

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale designed to measure specific purpose orientations among adults. Following literature review, a pool of items was developed and pilot tested with a convenience sample of adults recruited through MTurk (N = 554). Exploratory factor analysis suggested three distinct dimensions of others-growth, self-growth, and career-focused purpose orientations. The three-factor structure was confirmed with two independent samples of intercollegiate coaches in Study 2 (N = 377) and with teachers in Study 3 (N = 247) through the use of confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity of the items was assessed, which included examining factor loadings and reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological validity. Overall, the 12 items measuring purpose orientations are suggested as valid and reliable for research and for reflection on the nature of their life purpose to ultimately promote wellbeing in adult populations.

Sport-to-School Spillover Effects of Passion for Sport: The Role of Identity in Academic Performance.

There is a theoretical and empirical basis that suggests that passion and identity are interrelated and that they can cross the achievement domain in influencing outcomes. Using a sample of student-athletes (N = 187), the first purpose of this study was to examine whether academic identity and athletic variables (athletic identity, harmonious and obsessive passion for sport) can predict academic performance and persistence. The second purpose was to determine whether these relationships are invariant across sex and first-generation status. Academic outcomes were positively predicted by academic identity and negatively predicted by athletic identity. Harmonious and obsessive passion for sport were both negatively related to academic performance indirectly through athletic identity. Harmonious passion also was a weak positive predictor of academic persistence. The identified relationships were largely invariant across sex and first-generation status. Findings suggest that both academic and athletic variables can predict academic outcomes.

Assessing Burnout in Subgroups of Athletes Based on Gratitude and Perceived Coach-Athlete Relationship.

The purpose of this study was to examine distinct groups of athletes based on their gratitude and coach-athlete relationships (CAR) and to compare the groups on three dimensions of athlete burnout: sense of reduced accomplishment, emotional and physical exhaustion, and sport devaluation. Types of gratitude measured included general trait gratitude, general state gratitude, and sport state gratitude. Cluster analysis with 576 intercollegiate athletes showed four distinct groups: "ungrateful in life and sport, and disconnected from the coach" (Group 1), "highly grateful in life and sport, and well-connected with the coach" (Group 2), "generally less grateful in life, but connected with the coach" (Group 3), and "generally grateful in life, but disconnected from the coach" (Group 4). Group 1 reported the highest levels of burnout. In contrast, Group 2 reported the lowest levels of burnout. Athletes in Groups 3 and 4 (which were similar on sport state gratitude, but differed on other indicators) reported moderate levels of burnout, but Group 4 athletes were more burned out than Group 3 athletes. Specifically, both groups reported similar levels of devaluation; yet, Group 4 scored higher on reduced sense of accomplishment and emotional/physical exhaustion than Group 3. Examination of group composition revealed that male athletes were overrepresented in Group 2 and underrepresented in Group 4, and Group 1 athletes tended to identify as non-religious. Taken together, findings point to the protective role that gratitude and a positive CAR may play in athlete burnout prevention.

A Moral Intervention Reduces Doping Likelihood in British and Greek Athletes: Evidence From a Cluster Randomized Control Trial.

OBJECTIVES: The authors aimed to develop a moral intervention and to determine whether it was more effective in preventing doping than an educational (i.e., knowledge-based) intervention; their primary outcome was doping likelihood, and the secondary outcomes were moral identity, moral disengagement, moral atmosphere, and anticipated guilt. METHODS: Eligible athletes (N = 303) in the United Kingdom and Greece took part in the study. The authors randomly assigned 33 clubs to either the moral or the educational intervention. They measured outcomes pre- and postintervention and at 3- and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Athletes in both interventions in both countries reported lower doping likelihood and moral disengagement and higher guilt from pre- to postintervention. These effects were maintained at the 3- and 6-month follow-ups. There were no effects on moral identity or moral atmosphere. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to disseminating information about doping, doping prevention programs should include content that focuses on moral variables.