Examining the underlying latent structure of the sports emotion questionnaire: Insights from the bifactor multidimensional item response theory

John Elvis Hagan Jr; Frank Quansah; Francis Ankomah; Edmond Kwesi Agormedah; Medina Srem-Sai; Thomas Schack

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038217

Examining the underlying latent structure of the sports emotion questionnaire: Insights from the bifactor multidimensional item response theory

Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 22:13:1038217. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1038217. eCollection 2022.

Authors

John Elvis Hagan Jr^{1

2}, Frank Quansah³, Francis Ankomah^{4

5}, Edmond Kwesi Agormedah⁶, Medina Srem-Sai⁷, Thomas Schack²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
² Neurocognition and Action-Biomechanics-Research Group, Faculty of Psychology and, Sports Science, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany.
³ Department of Educational Foundations, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.
⁴ Department of Education and Psychology, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
⁵ Department of Education, SDA College of Education, Asokore-Koforidua, Ghana.
⁶ Department of Business and Social Sciences Education, University of Cape Coast, Coast, Ghana.
⁷ Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Sports, University of Education, Winneba, Ghana.

Abstract

Background: Despite the widespread use of the sports emotion questionnaire (SEQ) in several studies, it is surprising that only a few have explicitly tested the validity and utility of the instrument in non-western populations. Besides, the issue of dimensionality and the latent structure of the instrument remain inconclusive given that several authors have revealed different factor structures across diverse populations. The central concern is whether the items on the various dimensions, proposed for the original SEQ, offer adequate information to their respective expected subscale or otherwise. This study assessed the underlying latent structure of the SEQ using confirmatory and bifactor multidimensional item response (MIRT) models.

Methods: Through a well-designed validation study 300 athletes from three West African countries, participating in the 2018 West African University Games were surveyed to respond to the SEQ. The data were analyzed using first, a 5-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) via the MIRT model and second, a bifactor MIRT analysis.

Results: The results revealed that items on the SEQ were fairly good in measuring the construct under the respective domains of the instrument. However, the outcome of the bifactor model showed that the majority of the items on the SEQ explained common variance in relation to the general factor other than the specific domains (5-dimensions).

Conclusion: Findings of the bifactor model question whether the sub-dimensions of the SEQ are needed since most of the items on the SEQ explained larger variances in the general factor than any of the five domains. It is concluded that instruments like SEQ should be scored for a general factor and not as sub-dimensions. Further investigations are encouraged by scholars within the area to probe the dimensionality of the SEQ.

Keywords: athletes; bifactor models; confirmatory models; cross-culture; emotions.