Table 1.

Factor scores and Cronbach’s alphas (α) of MERIT survey items

Factor Name	Survey Item	Percentage explained variance	α	Factor scores	Mean score and standard deviation (SD) per factor
Supporting personal development		19.4%	.75		M = 4.3 (SD = .55)
	Helping my mentees develop into their own individual person is my reason to mentor.			.810
	Helping my mentees optimize their wellbeing is my reason to mentor.			.552
	Helping my mentees become better learners is my reason to mentor.			.306
	Helping my mentees envision what kind of professional they want to be in the future is my reason to mentor.			.590
	The personal development of my mentee is extremely important for me as mentor.			.658
Modelling professional development		9.3%	.56		M = 3.7 (SD = .58)
	I provide my mentees with insights into how the academic world works.			.384
	I advise my mentees what they should do based on my own experiences			.578
	If my mentees want feedback on how they are doing, they should ask me for it.			.496
	I want my mentees to adhere to my professional norms.			.335
	I am a sort of “help desk” for my students, providing them with information or referring them to resources.			.423
Fostering autonomy		6.6%	.54		M = 3.7 (SD = .71)
	It is my mentees’ own responsibility to ask me for advice if they have any questions			.496
	I cannot solve problems for my mentees, they have to do that themselves.			.490
	There is a limit to the amount of support I am prepared to give to my mentees.			.321
Monitoring performance		8.0%	.42		M = 3.8 (SD = .74)
	I help my mentees gain better understanding of the results of their actions.			.307
	I am my mentees’ trusted person within the university.			.431
	Having access to progress indicators of my mentee is critical for me as mentor.			.395
	If my mentees fail to meet expected performance standards, I will let them know.			.604