Sport-Confidence and Competitive Orientation: An Addendum on Scoring Procedures and Gender Differences

In an earlier study, an approach to the study of self-confidence was introduced in which the constructs sport-confidence and competitive orientation were conceptualized (Vealey, 1986). Sport-confidence was defined as the belief or degree of certainty individuals possess about their ability to be successful in sport. Competitive orientation was conceptualized to account for differences in how individuals define success and may be defined as a tendency for them to base their satisfaction and feelings of competence either on winning (outcome orientation) or performing well (performance orientation). Based on the distinction between personality traits and states, sport-confidence was separated into two constructs: a dispositional construct termed trait sport-confidence (SC-trait) and a state construct termed state sport-confidence (SC-state). To operationalize the constructs in this model, three instruments were developed: the Trait Sport-Confidence Inventory (TSCI), the State SportConfidence Inventory (SSCI), and the Competitive Orientation Inventory (COI). Through five phases of data collection, evidence of internal consistency, item discrimination, test-retest reliability (trait scales only), concurrent validity, and construct validity was accumulated for these instruments as valid operationalizations of the constructs within the conceptual model (Vealey, 1986). As an addendum to the original article (Vealey, 1986), this paper has two purposes. First, the intricate scoring procedures for the COI are clarified, a new procedure for computing a composite competitive orientation score is outlined, and norms for the new composite score are presented. Second, the analyses from the original study are extended to examine gender differences in the personality dispositions of SC-trait and competitive orientation based on the level of sport structure.