Psychometric properties of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Short Form: evidence from Chinese elite athletes

Jin-Chuan Hu; Ning Su; Yanmei Huang; Yu-Duo Zou; Hao Liu; Jing-Dong Liu

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1230537

Psychometric properties of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Short Form: evidence from Chinese elite athletes

Front Psychol. 2023 Aug 29:14:1230537. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1230537. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jin-Chuan Hu^#¹, Ning Su^#², Yanmei Huang³, Yu-Duo Zou¹, Hao Liu², Jing-Dong Liu¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Education, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
² Physical Education School, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
³ Department of Physical Education, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Objectives: The present study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale-Short Form (CAAS-SF) among a sample of Chinese elite athletes.

Methods: A sample of Chinese elite athletes (n = 770) was invited to participate in this study. First, the factor structure of the Chinese version of the CAAS-SF was examined, and six measurement models (CFA, H-CFA, B-CFA, ESEM, H-ESEM, and B-ESEM) were constructed and compared. Second, the internal consistency reliability of the Chinese version of the CAAS-SF was examined. Finally, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to assess the nomological validity of the Chinese version of the CAAS-SF.

Results: The results showed that the hierarchical ESEM (H-ESEM) model best represented the factor structure of the CAAS-SF among Chinese elite athletes. It suggests that the higher-order factor of career adaptability explains the four distinctive but interrelated specific factors of concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. Cronbach's alpha coefficients (0.84-0.90), composite reliability (0.81-0.96), and coefficient omega hierarchical (0.855-0.94) of the Chinese version of the CAAS-SF were larger than the cutoff values, which suggest satisfactory reliability. The results of the SEM revealed that the higher-order factor of career adaptability was positively associated with career decision self-efficacy (β = 0.676, p < 0.001). This result is consistent with previous findings (r = 0.65, p < 0.01) and provided support for the nomological validity of the CAAS-SF among Chinese elite athletes.

Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicated that the Chinese version of the CAAS-SF displayed satisfactory reliability and validity and could be used to assess the career adaptability of Chinese elite athletes. In addition, the total score of the CAAS-SF is suggested to be used in future research and practical works.

Keywords: career adaptability; elite athletes; factor structure; reliability; validity.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by a grant from the Research Start-up Fund for Top Talents of Shenzhen, China (No. 827-000694).