Translation and validation of the German version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS-DE)

Abstract

University students participating in sport must balance the demands of academics and sport to succeed in both domains. However, a reliable and valid tool for measuring academic and athletic identities in German-speaking populations has been lacking. The purpose of this study was to translate the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS; Yukhymenko-Lescroart, 2014, Student and Athletes? Development of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS). Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology ) into German (AAIS-DE) and evaluate its construct validity and reliability. Participants were 281 students participating in sport from a German-speaking university in Switzerland ( M age = 23.1 years). Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling supported the two-factor structure of the AAIS-DE, with all factor loadings being significant. Reliability estimates were .88 for academic identity and .89 for athletic identity. The two factors, academic and athletic identities, showed a moderate positive correlation. Using established German-language measures, academic identity correlated positively with academic self-concept, while athletic identity correlated positively with physical self-concept, as expected. Finally, measurement invariance was supported across gender and organized sport participation, indicating that the AAIS-DE measured academic and athletic identities equivalently across these groups. Overall, the results supported the reliability and validity of the AAIS-DE, confirming its usefulness for assessing academic identity and athletic identity among German-speaking university students and athletes.