Development and preliminary validation of the RESilience qualities In SporT (RESIST) scale

Although resilience has been identified as an important factor in sports performance, questionnaires that measure the qualities of resilience in this context are scarce. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the RESilience qualities In SporT (RESIST) scale, to assess resilience qualities in the context of competitive sports. A total of 862 volunteers (15 sports professionals, 775 athletes, and 72 sports sciences students) participated in three studies conducted to develop the preliminary version of the RESIST scale. In Study 1, a preliminary 20-item version of the scale was developed, based on the existing literature, and the clarity of the items was confirmed by a panel of experts. Study 2 explored the dimensionality of the scale, which resulted in an 18-item version with five dimensions of resilience (i.e., adaptability, positive personality, self-confidence, motivation, perceived social support). Results showed that the bifactor confirmatory model had the best fit indexes χ²(df) = 178.03(111), p < 0.001; RMSEA = 0.05; CFI = 0.96; TLI = 0.94. The invariance by gender was demonstrated at the partial strong level, and the convergent validity of the RESIST scale was demonstrated through significant correlations with other concepts (i.e., resilience, burnout, and self-esteem) in the expected directions. Finally, Study 3 attested to the temporal reliability of the scale. The RESIST scale thus demonstrates satisfactory psychometric properties. Although preliminary, the validation of this tool will allow for further research on resilience in a sporting context. This scale can also be used by sports psychologists to improve the assessment of resilience and the support offered to athletes.