Refining the Short Version of the Leadership Scale for Sports: Factorial Validation and Measurement Invariance

Area of Science:

• Sports Psychology
• Leadership Studies
• Psychometrics

Background:

• The Leadership Scale for Sports (LSS) is a widely used measure of coaching behavior.
• A shorter version is needed to reduce participant time demands in research and applied settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the factorial validity and measurement invariance of a short version of the LSS (LSS-25).
• To establish a brief, reliable, and valid measure of sports leadership.

Main Methods:

• A 25-item version of the LSS (LSS-25) was tested using data from athletes and coaches.
• Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple-group analyses were employed to assess validity and invariance.

Main Results:

• A 15-item version (LSS-15) demonstrated superior fit compared to the LSS-25.
• The LSS-15 exhibited adequate reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and criterion validity.
• Factor structure invariance was confirmed across samples and gender for athlete versions.

Conclusions:

• The LSS-15 is a valid and reliable alternative to the original LSS.
• This brief measure is suitable for applied settings with time constraints or complex study designs.