Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT)
Measures an athlete's competitive trait anxiety, assessing their tendency to perceive competitive sports situations as threatening.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) was developed by Rainer Martens (1977). It is designed to measure Competitive trait anxiety. The scale is intended for use with Athletes and sports competitors.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 15 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Competitive Anxiety, Filler Items.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Anxiety | 2,3,5,6,8,9,11,12,14,15 | 10 |
| Filler Items | 1,4,7,10,13 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Rarely, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often.
The scale includes 2 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 10 to 30. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low competitive anxiety: 10 – 16
- Average competitive anxiety: 17 – 24
- High competitive anxiety: 25 – 30
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of High test-retest reliability and internal consistency.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.