Table 2.
Measures, Cronbach alpha values and example items
| Concept | Measurement | Subscale(s) | α | Example item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness | FFMQ-SFa) | Acting with awareness | .50 | I find it difficult to stay focused on what’s happening in the present moment (reversed). |
| Nonjudging of inner experience | .73 | I tell myself I shouldn’t be feeling the way I’m feeling (reversed). | ||
| Nonreactivity to inner experience | 76 | I watch my feelings without getting carried away by them. | ||
| Use of psychological skills | TOPSa) | Self-talk | .87 | I say things to myself to help my competitive performance. |
| Imagery | .79 | During practice, I visualize successful past performances. | ||
| Goal setting | .86 | I have very specific goals for training. | ||
| Activation | .81 | I can raise my energy level at competitions when necessary. | ||
| Relaxation | .87 | When the pressure is on at competitions, I know how to relax. | ||
| Techniques to handle emotions | .65 | In competition, I use techniques to control my emotions. | ||
| Techniques to regulate attention | .72 | In training, I use techniques to control my attention. | ||
| Emotion regulation | TOPSa) | Emotional control | .83 | My emotions keep me from performing my best at competitions (reversed) |
| Experiential avoidance | AAQ-IIb) | – | .79 | I’m afraid of my feelings. |
| Emotional competencies | SEC-27a) | Acceptance of emotions | .64 | I am able to stand by my feelings. |
| Attention regulation | TOPSa) | Attention control | .83 | I am able to control distracting thoughts when training. |
| Cognitive interference | TOQSb) | Thoughts of escape | .90 | During competition, I have thoughts that I want to get out of here. |
| Situation-irrelevant thoughts | .85 | During competition, I have thoughts about what I’m going to do later in the day. | ||
| Performance worries | .77 | During competition, I have thoughts that I’m having a bad day. | ||
| TOPSa) | Negative cognitions | .87 | My self-talk during competition is negative. | |
| Decentering | EQa) | Distanced perspective | .77 | I can separate myself from my thoughts and feelings. |
| Dealing with failures | ASOAF6b) | Action orientation | .63 | If I get little playtime to prove myself, and something goes wrong, I try to do better in the next action. |
| If I fail in an important situation in a (championship) match, I quickly forget about it and concentrate on the next chance. | ||||
| If everything goes wrong in one day, then I continue to play as determinedly as if it hadn’t happened. | ||||
| State orientation | .83 | If I fail in an important situation in a (championship) game, then it goes through my mind repeatedly in the further course of the game. | ||
| If the coach criticizes my behavior, then it keeps me busy even during the game. | ||||
| If I fail several in actions one after the other in a (championship) game, then my thoughts circle around these failed actions for a long time. |
Note. FFMQ-SF Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire short form, TOPS Test of Performance Strategies, AAQ-II Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, SEC-27 Self-assessment of Emotional Competencies, TOQS Thought Occurrence Questionnaire for Sport, EQ Experience Questionnaire, ASOAF6 Action and State Orientation after Failure
a) = 5-point Likert scale, b) = 7-point Likert scale