Development and initial validation of the Psychological Need Frustration Scale for Physical Activity

Pak-Kwong Chung; Tao Zhong; Jing-Dong Liu; Chun-Qing Zhang; Ming Yu Claudia Wong

doi:10.7717/peerj.9210

Development and initial validation of the Psychological Need Frustration Scale for Physical Activity

PeerJ. 2020 May 28:8:e9210. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9210. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Pak-Kwong Chung¹, Tao Zhong², Jing-Dong Liu³, Chun-Qing Zhang¹, Ming Yu Claudia Wong¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Sport and Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China.
² College of Sport and Health, Henan Normal University, Henan, China.
³ Department of Physical Education, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, China.

Abstract

Background: The frustration of basic psychological needs can be detrimental to people's health. To date, a scale developed specifically for measuring such perceived negative experiences, derived from a need thwarting environment in the physical activity context, is lacking. The present research attempted to develop and validate the Psychological Need Frustration Scale for Physical Activity (PNFS-PA) grounded in self-determination theory via multiple studies.

Method: In Study 1, an item pool was created, and its face and content validity were established. In Study 2, the factor structure of the scale was demonstrated using exploratory structural equation modelling (ESEM). In Study 3, its factor structure was cross-validated. Also, the nomological validity, reliability and measurement invariance of the scale were established.

Result: Taken together, the research suggests the newly developed PNFS-PA is valid and reliable and can be applied to assess psychological needs frustration experiences in the physical activity context.

Keywords: Basic psychological needs theory; Exploratory structural equation modelling; Instrument development; Self-determination theory.

Grants and funding

The research was funded by the Faculty Research Grant (FRG) of Hong Kong Baptist University (FRG1/16-17/039). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.