Construction and Content Validity Evidences of Coping Inventory for Brazilian Paralympic Athletes in Competition Situations

• Published in: International journal of disability, development, and education Vol. 70; no. 5; pp. 885 - 898
• Main Authors: Bertoldi, Rafaela, da Silva, Mônia Aparecida, Ribeiro Bandeira, Paulo Felipe, Bandeira, Denise Ruschel, Mazo, Janice Zarpellon
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Routledge 29-07-2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Athletes; Competition; Coping; Coping strategies; Delegation; Foreign Countries; Helplessness; Information seeking behavior; measuring instrument; Motivation theory; paralympic athletes; Physical Disabilities; Problem solving; Social isolation; Sports psychology; Test Construction; Test Reliability; Test Validity; Validity; Visual impairment; Visual Impairments; Brazil
• ISSN: 1034-912X; 1465-346X
• DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2021.1916894

The aim of this study was to present the construction process of the Coping Inventory for Paralympic Athletes in Competition Situations (ICAP) and, as well, evidence of its content validity. The ICAP was developed to evaluate coping strategies in Paralympic athletes aged 18 years and older, possessing physical and/or visual impairment. The instrument is self-reported and includes the dimensions of Self-Reliance, Support-Seeking, Problem-Solving, Information-Seeking, Accommodation, Negotiation, Delegation, Social Isolation, Helplessness, Escape, Submission, and Opposition. Development of the instrument involved: (1) theoretical foundation based on the motivational theory of coping; (2) construction of the preliminary version of the instrument; (3) items analysis by expert judges; (4) semantic analysis of the items; and (5) pilot study. These procedures enabled the creation and refinement of the instrument. Some items were deleted and modified, reaching a final version of 91 items. This exhaustive process is considered to have ensured the content validity of the instrument. It is hoped that the ICAP can contribute in the future to the areas of sports psychology and Paralympic sport, both in the context of research and in practice.