Sport-specific relationship problems: Turkish adaptation of an evaluation method

Area of Science:

• Sports Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Health Sciences

Background:

• Assessing student-athlete relationships is crucial for performance.
• Existing instruments may lack culturally specific adaptations.
• The Student Athlete Relationship Instrument (SARI) evaluates relationships with family, coaches, teammates, and peers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt the SARI scales into Turkish.
• To ensure the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of SARI.
• To provide a standardized tool for evaluating Turkish student-athletes' relational environments.

Main Methods:

• Translation and back-translation by independent experts for content validity.
• Inclusion of 403 athletes aged 14+ proficient in Turkish.
• Exploratory factor analysis (principal components) and reliability analysis (Cronbach's alpha).
• Assessment of factor analysis suitability using Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett's test.

Main Results:

• The Turkish SARI scales demonstrated strong internal consistency.
• Factor analysis confirmed the suitability and structure of the subscales.
• Psychometric properties, including validity and reliability, were supported for family, coach, teammate, and peer subscales.

Conclusions:

• The Turkish adaptation of the SARI is valid and reliable.
• The instrument serves as a valuable resource for health professionals.
• It aids in identifying relational dynamics influencing athletic performance in Turkish student-athletes.