An exploration of the psychometric properties of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style 2 and its ability to predict athletic injury
Creators: name: Vassos, Maria
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024

description: This thesis presents two studies that are concerned with evaluating the psychometric properties of the revised version of the Test of Attentional and Interpersonal Style (TAIS; Nideffer, 1976) - the TAIS2 (Nideffer, n.d.). The original TAIS has many psychometric weaknesses but the revised version was developed in an attempt to rectify the problems of the original. The aim of Study One was to explore the internal consistency and construct validity of the TAIS2 attention subscales. These psychometric properties were evaluated on a sample of 119 undergraduate students who completed the TAIS2 along with measures of anxiety and the "Big Five" personality traits. Eight hypotheses were proposed with the general theme being that the TAIS2 would show improved psychometric properties compared with the original TAIS. Results found that the TAIS2 showed improved internal consistency (three scales were below the acceptable .70 level only) and reduced measurement redundancy compared with the original TAIS. The TAIS2 also showed improved construct validity with the OIT and RED subscale scores significantly correlating with anxiety and the attention plus interpersonal subscale scores relating to the "Big Five" personality traits as predicted. However, factor analysis results revealed that attention scores reduced to two higher order factors that measure only the bandwidth dimension of Nideffer's (1976) theory of attentional style and not both the bandwidth and direction dimensions of attention as claimed. This finding does not support the construct validity of the TAIS2.<br><br>Study Two attempted to explore the predictive validity of the TAIS2 by investigating whether the attention subscale scores predict athletic injury in accordance with the Andersen and Williams' (1988) stress and injury model. It was hypothesised that maladaptive attention styles (OIT, OET and RED) and perceived risk of injury would separately mediate the relationships between five psychosocial factors (life events stress, coping, social support, anxiety and previous injury) with subsequent injury. The interaction between the maladaptive attention styles and perceived risk of injury was hypothesised as a possible mediator also. A total of 41 recreational athletes participated in this study by completing a questionnaire containing the TAIS2 attention subscales plus measures of the psychosocial variables of interest. Each participant was contacted 2 months later in order to collect injury data. Mediation results indicated that the TAIS2 scales measuring external distractibility (OET) and internal distractibility (OIT) were the only significant single mediators. Perceived risk of injury was not a significant mediator of any relationships on its own however it interacted with the reduced focus subscale (RED) to mediate some of the psychosocial and injury relationships. These results partially supported the hypotheses. These results only partially support the predictive validity of the TAIS2. The combined Study One and Two findings imply that the TAIS2 displays improved psychometric properties compared with the original TAIS however these results do not demonstrate that the TAIS2 is a psychometrically sound measure. The test falls short of acceptable reliability and validity standards. Explored in the final chapter are theoretical and practical implications, limitations to the research and directions for future research.<br>