Validation process of the coach behavior scale: athlete version (ECT-A)

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to adapt and validate the version of the questionnaire Coach Behavior Scale for Sport -CBS-S- (CÔTÉ et al., 1999) into the Portuguese language, called Escala de Comportamento do Treinador - Versão Atleta (ECT-A). The ECT-A was composed by 13 demographic questions and 48 questions distributed into six dimensions: Physical Training, Technical Training, Mental Preparation, Goal Setting, Personal Positive Reinforcement and Personal Negative Reinforcement. Results of Alpha Cronbach, in the six dimensions, were ≥ 0,70, of the ECT-A in three studies (N = 470), indicating acceptable levels. In the Study 1, (80 athletes <47 men and 33 women>;) results of factor analysis showed a grouped of majority of questions in two factors however correlations between some questions were low suggesting semantic revisions. In the Study 2, (168 athletes <118 men and 50 women>;) there was an improvement in the factor analysis, since Personal Positive Reinforcement dimension had a similar profile of the CBS-S, but correlation between 8 questions continued low and so they were excluded. In the Study 3, (222 athletes <91 men and 131 women>;) factor analysis of the majority of the questions obtained a similar profile of the original instrument (CBS-S) and correlations between questions were satisfactory (≥ 0,30). These results showed evidences to validate the ECT-A ,which final version was composed by 40 questions.