Abstract
The purpose of this study was to reconstruct a cognitive appraisal scale for high school athletes (Shibukura and Mori, 2004), and to examine the scale's reliability and validity. The subjects were 1370 first and second year high school athletes (903 males and 467 females). They were required to complete a questionnaire that consisted of a cognitive appraisal scale and a stress-coping scale for high school athletes. In this study we tried to devise a cognitive appraisal scale that contained “threat” and “challenge” as a primary appraisal and “controllability” as a secondary appraisal. First, as a result of factor analysis, it was revealed that a cognitive appraisal scale for high school athletes consisted of the three factors mentioned above. In this way, the cognitive appraisal scale was reconstructed. Second, the reliability of the scale was examined through the split-half method and the test-retest method. Furthermore, the content validity and the factorial validity were verified. Finally, multiple regression analyses were performed in order to examine the relationship of cognitive appraisal and coping. It became clear that a cognitive appraisal scale explained stress-coping, and the scale's predictive validity was supported. Consequently, a cognitive appraisal scale for high school athletes that contained “challenge”, “threat” and “controllability” was reconstructed, and it was considered that this scale would contribute to clarification of the psychological stress process and effective stress management.
