Assessing acceptance in mindfulness with direct-worded items: The development and initial validation of the Athlete Mindfulness Questionnaire

摘要

Purpose:The purpose of the current study was to develop and validate a sport-specific mindfulness measure,the Athlete Mindfulness Questionnaire (AMQ),through 5 related studies using 4 separate samples of Chinese athletes.The AMQ is a 3-factor measure designed to assess mindfulness that reflects present-moment attention,awareness,and acceptance in a sport context.Methods:In Study 1,an initial pool of items was generated based on previous literature,existing mindfulness scales,as well as interviews with and feedback from the athletes,coaches,and mindfulness experts.Initial support for the 3-factor structure of the AMQ was established via exploratory factor analysis in Study 2,and cross-validated through confirmatory factor analysis in Studies 3 and 4.In Study 5,a modified 3-factor AMQ with direct-worded acceptance items was examined in a fourth independent sample.Results:Convergent and concurrent validities of the acceptance subscale failed to be established in Studies 3 and 4 which may be due to the inattention and confusion of the athletes whilst interpreting the reverse-worded items.A modified 16-item AMQ in Study 5 displayed satisfactory model fit and acceptable internal consistencies.Most importantly,convergent and concurrent validities of the 16-item AMQ were supported.The 3 subscales showed significant positive associations with mindfulness,flow,well-being,and positive affect and significant negative associations with experiential avoidance,burnout,and negative affect.Conclusion:The AMQ is a psychometrically sound measure of mindfulness in a sport context.The importance of using direct-worded acceptance items is discussed.