Presence and search for meaning in sport: Initial construct validation. (November 2020) - Luzzeri, Matteo
Abstract: According to Frankl (1959), the will to meaning is a fundamental human motive. Perceiving life as meaningful is associated with a number of sources and positive outcomes. Similar findings emerged when looking at domain-specific meaning, such as work. Surprisingly, sport-specific meaning is yet to be empirically investigated or measured. Therefore, the purpose of this two-study project was to examine the psychometric properties of the Meaning in Sport Questionnaire (MSQ), a sport-specific meaning measure. Survey responses ( n = 329) from Study 1 were used to assess factorial validity and measurement invariance for the MSQ. Results from Study 2 with a different sample ( n = 402) supported initial convergent validity for the two subscales of presence and search for meaning in sport. The MSQ is a new measure that can be used to investigate the extent to which athletes perceive their sport to be meaningful and search for such meaning. Highlights: First study quantitatively investigating domain-specific meaning in sport. Validated measure showed invariance across gender, sport type, and level. Meaning in sport related to meaning in life, but not the same. Meaning in sport positively related to desirable psychological attributes. Meaning in sport negatively related to undesirable psychological attributes.