Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Flow State Scale

The purpose of this research was to examine the psychometric properties of a Spanish translation of the Flow State Scale (FSS; Jackson & Marsh, 1996). This instrument is used to assess the Flow State in participants of physical activity, although it can be adapted to other contexts (such as work, educational contexts, etc.). This construct can be considered the optimal psychological state to carry out an activity, being closely related to motivation and personal enjoyment (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). A sample of 2036 athletes was recruited from diverse sports activities. The results revealed satisfactory validity and internal consistency of the instrument, obtaining a factor model made up of a main factor and nine subscales. The correlations between motivational orientations and the flow state are highlighted. The Spanish translation of this instrument is found to be acceptable, with similar psychometric properties as the original scale, although future research in other contexts is needed to support these outcomes. El objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar las propiedades psicométricas de una versión adaptada al castellano de la Flow State Scale (FSS; Jackson y Marsh, 1996), instrumento utilizado para valorar el estado de fluidez en practicantes de actividad física, aunque adaptable a otros contextos (trabajo, educación…). Dicho constructo puede ser considerado como el estado psicológico óptimo para realizar una actividad, estando muy relacionado con la motivación y el disfrute personal (Csikszentmihalyi, 1997). Se desarrolló un estudio con 2036 participantes en diferentes actividades deportivas. Los resultados han demostrado que el instrumento posee una validez y consistencia interna aceptables, hallándose un modelo factorial compuesto por un factor principal y nueve factores secundarios. Asimismo, destacan las correlaciones entre las dos orientaciones motivacionales y el estado de fluidez. Se concluye que la adaptación al castellano del instrumento para valorar el estado de fluidez es aceptable, encontrándose propiedades psicométricas similares a las obtenidas en la escala original, aunque se necesitan nuevos trabajos en otros contextos que apoyen estos resultados.

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