The Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART‐Q): development and initial validation

TLDR

The study aimed to develop and validate a self‑report questionnaire measuring the coach–athlete relationship, tested through two independent British samples for content, predictive, construct validity, and internal consistency. Items were generated from Jowett & Meek qualitative case studies and literature, and the questionnaire was refined using principal component and confirmatory factor analyses on the two samples. The results confirmed a multidimensional structure comprising coaches’ and athletes’ Closeness (emotions), Commitment (cognitions), and Complementarity (behaviors). The instrument builds on Jowett et al.'s prior research.

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to develop and validate a self-report instrument that measures the nature of the coach–athlete relationship. Jowett et al. 's (Jowett & Meek, 2000; Jowett, in press) qualitative case studies and relevant literature were used to generate items for an instrument that measures affective, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of the coach–athlete relationship. Two studies were carried out in an attempt to assess content, predictive, and construct validity, as well as internal consistency, of the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q), using two independent British samples. Principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to reduce the number of items, identify principal components, and confirm the latent structure of the CART-Q. Results supported the multidimensional nature of the coach–athlete relationship. The latent structure of the CART-Q was underlined by the latent variables of coaches' and athletes' Closeness (emotions), Commitment (cognitions), and Complementarity (behaviors).