Adaptation and psychometric analysis of the ukrainian version of the task and ego orientation in sport questionnaire (TEOSQ)

Abstract

Athletes' motivation is a crucial factor influencing their performance, engagement in the training process, and long-term sports career. One of the most widely used tools for assessing motivation is The Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire (TEOSQ), which measures two main types of motivational orientation: task orientation and ego orientation. The first is associated with striving for self-improvement, hard work, and skill development, while the second involves competing with others and the desire to prove one's superiority. In international practice, TEOSQ is widely used in psychological research on athletes of different skill levels. However, until now, there has been no adapted and validated version of this questionnaire for Ukraine.

Methods. The aim of this study is to adapt and conduct a psychometric analysis of the TEOSQ for Ukrainian athletes, specifically evaluating its internal consistency, reliability, and factor structure. The study involved 75 young athletes (U15, U14 )  The translation of the questionnaire was carried out using the back-translation method, followed by its testing on the target sample. The reliability of the TEOSQ was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha (α) and McDonald’s omega (ω), which allowed for evaluating the internal consistency of the scales. To confirm measurement stability, a test-retest analysis (ICC3) was applied, while the factor structure was assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Additionally, IRT analysis was performed to evaluate the discriminatory ability of individual TEOSQ items.

The study results demonstrated that the Ukrainian version of TEOSQ exhibits high internal consistency. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.84 for the ego orientation scale and 0.81 for the task orientation scale. The reliability of the test, assessed using McDonald’s omega, was 0.77 for the overall scale, 0.84 for ego orientation, and 0.82 for task orientation. The test-retest analysis confirmed the stability of the obtained results (ICC3 = 0.86, p < 0.001). Factor analysis showed that the two-factor TEOSQ model has a good fit with empirical data (CFI = 0.92, RMSEA = 0.06), supporting the conceptual validity of the scales. At the same time, IRT analysis identified that items Q8 and Q12 have reduced informational value, indicating the need for further review or refinement of their wording.

Conclusions. The obtained results confirm that TEOSQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing athletes' motivation in Ukraine. It can be used for psychological analysis of young athletes' motivational profiles and the development of individualized training strategies. Future research may focus on expanding the sample size and improving specific questionnaire items to enhance its psychometric properties.