Adaptation of the mentor mindsets scale: validation, psychometric properties, and practical application

This study aimed to adapt the Mentor Mindset Scale into Turkish and examine its psychometric properties. The scale assesses mentors' orientations toward youth as Enforcer and Protector, conceptualizing Mentor Mindset as a pattern defined by these two dimensions.

The sample comprised 316 adults (210 women, 106 men). To further examine construct distinctiveness, the Implicit Theories of Intelligence Scale was employed to test concurrent validity across fixed and growth mindset dimensions.

Confirmatory factor analysis supported the proposed two-factor structure, with strong comparative fit indices (CFI = 0.976, TLI = 0.955) and acceptable SRMR (0.071), although RMSEA was elevated (0.114, 90% CI [0.081, 0.150]). Factor loadings were significant, and the two dimensions were strongly correlated (r = 0.70). Reliability was stronger for the Enforcer subscale (α = 0.70, ω = 0.72, CR = 0.77) than for the Protector subscale (α = 0.53, ω = 0.64, CR = 0.66), indicating comparatively weaker measurement precision for the Protector dimension. Concurrent validity analyses indicated small-to-moderate negative associations with Fixed Mindset and nonsignificant associations with Growth Mindset, supporting the conceptual distinctiveness of mentor-specific orientations from general mindset beliefs. Classification analyses revealed that 47% of participants exhibited a single Mentor Mindset orientation, while 22% displayed both Enforcer and Protector tendencies. Results indicated small-to-moderate negative associations with fixed mindset and nonsignificant associations with growth mindset, supporting the cultural generalizability of mentor-specific mindset orientations while confirming their conceptual independence from general intelligence beliefs.

These findings demonstrate that the Turkish Mentor Mindset Scale is a reliable and valid measure that captures theoretically coherent constructs distinct from general mindset beliefs. The scale provides a practical tool for assessing mentor orientations and can inform the design of targeted mentoring interventions to promote adaptive mentoring behaviors in educational and developmental contexts.