Research article - (2020)19, 10 - 19
Achievement-Motivated Behavior in Individual Sports: Evidence for the Construct and Criterion Validity of the AMBIS-I Coach-Rating Scale
Claudia Zuber, Michael J. Schmid, Achim Conzelmann
Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Switzerland

Claudia Zuber
✉ Institute of Sport Science, University of Bern, Bremgartenstrasse 145, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Email: claudia.zuber@ispw.unibe.ch
Received: 22-07-2019 -- Accepted: 25-10-2019
Published (online): 24-02-2020

ABSTRACT

The coach-rating scale for Achievement-Motivated Behavior in Individual Sports (AMBIS-I) was constructed to measure achievement motivation, not from athletes’ own views but from coaches’ perspectives. The tool was already checked for reliability as well as content, factorial, and concurrent criterion validity (Zuber and Conzelmann, 2019). To further establish construct and criterion validity, two different samples were involved. Sample 1 included 67 experienced coaches rating their 278 athletes on the three AMBIS-I dimensions proactivity, ambition and commitment. In sample 2, 157 athletes completed self-report questionnaires measuring motivational and volitional concepts. Congruent and discriminant construct validity were assessed using the QCV-procedure (Westen and Rosenthal, 2003) by comparing experts’ predicted and empirically observed correlations between the coaches’ ratings on the AMBIS-I with the self-ratings of validated instruments. Consistent with theoretical expectations, achievement goal orientations, self-determination and self-optimization show significant positive relationships to the AMBIS-I scales, the negatively formulated volitional concepts, negative ones. As indicated by the 0.87 ≤ ralerting-CV ≤ 0.95, the general patterns of the expert’s predictions triangulate consistently with the observed correlations. The findings concerning absolute agreement were mixed. Even though the ICCs suggest sufficient to good consistency, the values of rcontrast-CV are considerably lower. To indicate criterion validity, AMBIS-I display medium to large correlations with the actual performance level estimated by the coaches and small to medium correlations with the assigned potential for subsequent success one year later. In summary, we found solid indications, that AMBIS-I is a valid measure of achievement-motivated behavior in individual sports from coaches’ perspective.

Key words: motivation, talent identification, talent development, individual sports, test construction

Key Points
  • The coach-rating scale AMBIS-I can be used for the reliable and valid assessment of achievement motivated behavior in individual sports from coaches’ perspectives for talent identification and promotion.
  • We strongly recommend using AMBIS-I as part of a multidimensional test battery for talent identification.
  • Low agreement between coach and athlete assessment is not surprising and should be discussed and used for further goal agreement.








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