This study aimed to develop a “questionnaire for shared mental models of a basketball team”, based on the classification of shared mental models by Cannon-Bowers et al. (1993), and examine its reliability and validity. We conducted a questionnaire survey with 453 players from university basketball clubs in Japan. Based on an exploratory factor analysis, four factors and 16 items were extracted. The four factors corresponded to the classification of the shared mental models. The following results were obtained regarding the reliability and validity of the “questionnaire for shared mental models of a basketball team”: 1) Its reliability was confirmed via sufficient internal consistency, temporal stability of Cronbach's alpha, and retest reliability coefficients. 2) A significant correlation was found between the developed scale and factors of an existing scale. The average score of each factor of the team with a high competition level was significantly high. Therefore, the scale's criterion-related validity was supported. 3) As a result of confirmatory factor analysis, the goodness-of-fit of the model was recognized. Additionally, the validity of the construct of the developed scale was supported. Thus, the “questionnaire for shared mental models of a basketball team” had high reliability and validity. Furthermore, it appropriately evaluated shared mental models in basketball. In conclusion, we developed a new simple scale that conformed to the classification of shared mental models by Cannon-Bowers et al. (1993) and could be used in the field of competition. The results of this study provide a new perspective on team building in basketball.
