Re-injury worry is an important construct in competitive sport that may influence performance and increase the risk of re-injury. However, there are currently no available instruments to measure the causes of re-injury worry. The purpose of this study was to develop the Causes of Re-Injury Worry Questionnaire (CR-IWQ). The study was conducted in three independent research phases to investigate the following: (a) the content relevance, (b) the factor structure and the factorial validity, (c) the concurrent validity, (d) the discriminant validity, and (e) the test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients; ICC), and the internal consistency of the instrument. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was chosen to examine the factor structure of the CR-IWQ. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine further the factorial validity of the instrument. A number of valid constructs were used to assess the concurrent and discriminant validity of the CR-IWQ. The reliability of the new instrument was examined using Pearson r (ICC) and Cronbach . Three hundred and seventy athletes with an acute musculoskeletal sport injury in the last year participated in the study. EFA revealed a 12-item model, representing two factors (Re-injury worry due to rehabilitation and Re-injury worry due to opponent’s ability). CFA supported the two-factor model of the CR-IWQ. The concurrent and discriminant validity of the CR-IWQ was confirmed by examining correlations between the CR-IWQ with other constructs. The ICCs and the Cronbach indices of the CR-IWQ were acceptable. We have demonstrated that the CR-IWQ is a good psychometric instrument that can be used for clinical and research purposes. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

The aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Test of Performance Strategies-Competition scale (TOPS-CS; Thomas et al., 1999) in Greek athletic population. The TOPS-CS was designed to assess eight psychological strategies used by athletes in competition (activation, automaticity, emotional control, goal-setting, imagery, negative thinking, relaxation and self-talk). In order to evaluate the psychometric properties of the inventory, two different research studies were conducted in two different age groups (n1=382 athletes, aged 16 to 20 years and n2=343 athletes, aged 12 to 15 years). Furthermore, 263 athletes, (aged 16 to 20 years) completed the TOPS-CS, purposing to perform confirmatory factor analysis. The results of the first study supported the initial factorial structure of the TOPS-CS for athletes aged 16-20 years. Reliability analysis also provided adequate evidence for the internal consistency and stability of the scale for Greek athletes of this age. However, for athletes aged 12 to 15 years, the validity and reliability of the inventory were questionable and further research is required. © Editorial Committee of Journal of Human Kinetics.