Background: Competitiveness is an essential psychological concept that affects various aspects of life. As online classes transform the educational landscape, it is essential to explore their effects on student competitiveness. This study sought to validate the Competition Psychology Scale for College Students (CPS-CS) specifically for Iranian university students involved in online learning. Methods: This cross-sectional survey utilized a psychometric approach and validation methods, targeting students at Tehran University during the first semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. A total of 1,231 students were selected through stratified sampling. The study employed the CPS-CS and the Hyper-Competitive Attitude (HCA) scale. The evaluation of content, concurrent, and construct validity, along with internal reliability, was conducted rigorously. Results: The CPS-CS demonstrated excellent content validity. Its concurrent validity indicated a positive correlation with the HCA scale (r=0.763, p<0.001). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) confirmed a three-factor structure—competitive learning, performance, and relationships—accounting for 63.829% of the variance. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure was 0.908, indicating high common variance, which is suitable for factor analysis. Bartlett's test supported this with a Chi-Square of 4622.140 (df=120, p<0.001). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) validated the three-factor model with strong fit indices. Reliability assessments indicated high internal consistency, with an overall Cronbach's alpha of 0.865 and values ranging from 0.880 to 0.915 for each factor, along with significant test-retest reliability (r=0.714, p<0.001). No significant differences were found in competitiveness scores between groups (p=0.10). Conclusion: The CPS-CS, with its tri-dimensional structure, has been validated for Iranian online students, proving to be a reliable tool for assessing competitiveness. Further validation in diverse settings is suggested. |
- Pokhrel S, Chhetri R. A Literature Review on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Teaching and Learning. High Educ Future. 2021;8(1):133-41. doi: 10.1177/2347631120983481.
- Kim SY, Kim SJ, Lee SH. Effects of Online Learning on Nursing Students in South Korea during COVID-19. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(16). doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168506. PubMed PMID: 34444257; PubMed PMCID: PMC8394981.
- Novikov P. Impact of COVID-19 emergency transition to online learning onto the international students’ perceptions of Educational process at Russian university. J Soc Stud Educ Res. 2020;11(3):270-302. Available from: https://jsser.org/index.php/jsser/article/view/2602
- Salari Chineh P, Tavan A, Soltani Nezhad N, Manzari Tavakoli V. A Model of Professional Ethics Education for the Student-Teachers at Teacher Training University: A Qualitative Study. J High Educ Curric Stud. 2023;14(27):143-69. Available from: https://www.magiran.com/p2622349. [In Persian]
- Sanjari S, Soleimani MRM. Validation of the Persian Version of the Engagement in E-Learning Scale in Students of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Iran. Middle East J Rehabil Health Stud. 2023;10(3). doi: 10.5812/mejrh-134881
- Soltaninejad N, Salari Chineh P, Tavan A, Manzari Tavakoli V. Teacher professional ethics education (with emphasis on Islamic rights and duties) at Farhangian University (effectiveness; challenges and solutions). Ethical Reflect. 2023;4(1):105-23. doi: 10.30470/er.2023.1987435.1186. [In Persian]
- Bovolon L, Mallia L, De Maria A, Bertollo M, Berchicci M. Modulatory role of sport factors on amateur and competitive athletes’ aggressive and antisocial behaviors. Heliyon. 2024;10(1). 2023;10(1):e23321. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23321. PubMed PMID: 38163141; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10755045.
- Li L, Yu H, Kunc M. The impact of forum content on data science open innovation performance: A system dynamics-based causal machine learning approach. Technol Forecast Soc Change. 2024;198. doi: 10.1016/j.techfore.2023.122936.
- Horta H, Li H. Ageism and age anxiety experienced by Chinese doctoral students in enacting a “successful” career script in academia. High Educ. 2024:1-16. doi: 10.1007/s10734-023-01176-9.
- Issac AC, Dhir A, Christofi M. True knowledge vs empowering knowledge: conceptualizing a theory of mindfulness and knowledge transfer (TMKT). Journal of Managerial Psychology. 2024;39(3)264-86. doi: 10.1108/JMP-05-2022-0217.
- Daoud MK, Al-Qeed M, Al-Gasawneh JA, Ahmad AYB. The Role of Competitive Advantage Between Search Engine Optimization and Shaping the Mental Image of Private Jordanian University Students Using Google. International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning. 2023;18(08):2443-2451. doi:10.18280/ijsdp.180815.
- Dishon-Berkovits M, Riva E, Lucchini M. The relationship between job demands, resources and subjective wellbeing: The role of work-family conflict across the life course. Curr Psychol. 2023; 43:8085–8101. doi: 10.1007/s12144-023-04955-w.
- Menesini E, Tassi F, Nocentini A. The Competitive Attitude Scale (CAS): A Multidimensional Measure of Competitiveness in Adolescence. J Psychol Clin Psychiatry. 2018;9(3):240-244. doi: 10.15406/jpcpy.2018.09.00528.
- Patock-Peckham JA, Ebbert AM, Woo J, Finch H, Broussard ML, Ulloa E, and colleagues. Winning at all costs: The etiology of hypercompetitiveness through the indirect influences of parental bonds on anger and verbal/physical aggression. P Pers Individ Dif. 2020;154:109711. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.109711. PubMed PMID: 32308249; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7164798.
- Rožman M, Tominc P, Štrukelj T. Competitiveness Through Development of Strategic Talent Management and Agile Management Ecosystems. Glob J Flex Syst Manag. 2023;24(3):373-93. doi: 10.1007/s40171-023-00344-1.
- Morrison-Smith S, Ruiz J. Challenges and barriers in virtual teams: a literature review. SN Applied Science. 2020;2(6):1096. doi: 10.1007/s42452-020-2801-5.
- Chen C-C, Tu H-Y. The Effect of Digital Game-Based Learning on Learning Motivation and Performance Under Social Cognitive Theory and Entrepreneurial Thinking. Front Psychol. 2021;12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.750711. PubMed PMID: 34975642; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC8716945.
- Yang Y, Peng Y, Li W, Lu S, Wang C, Chen S, and colleagues. Psychometric evaluation of the academic involution scale for college students in China: An application of Rasch analysis. Front Psychol. 2023;14. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1135658. PubMed PMID: 36895756; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9990466.
- Krejcie RV, Morgan DW. Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 1970;30:607–10. doi: 10.1177/001316447003000308.
- Cochran W.G. Sampling Techniques. 3rd ed. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.; New York, NY, USA: 1977.
- Wolf EB, Harrington NG, Clark MA, and Miller M. Sample Size Requirements for Structural Equation Modeling: A Monte Carlo Study. Educ Psychol Meas. 2013;76(6):913–34. doi: 10.1177/0013164413495237. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4334479. PubMed PMID: 25705052.
- Mundfrom DJ, Shaw DG, Ke TL. Minimum sample size recommendations for conducting factor analyses. International Journal of Testing 2005;5(2):159–68. doi: 10.1207/s15327574ijt0502_4.
- Comrey AL, Lee HB. A first course in factor analysis. 2nd edition. New York: Psychology Press eBooks; 2013. doi: 10.4324/9781315827506.
- Waltz C. F., Bausell B. R. Nursing Research: Design Statistics and Computer Analysis. FA Davis Co; 1981.
- Lawshe CH. A quantitative approach to content validity. Personnel psychology. 1975;28(4):563–75. doi: 10.1111/j.1744-6570.1975.tb01393.x.
- Liu Y, Tu Y, Yang H, Gao J, Xu Y, Yang Q. Have you “involution” today—Competition psychology scale for college students. Front Psychol. 2022;13:951931. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.951931. PubMed PMID: 36337502; PubMed PMCID: PMC9632435.
- Najian A, Kachooei M, Farahani H. Structural Model of the Relationship between Pathological Personality Traits and Adolescents' Tendency to Self-Harm Behavior: The Mediating role of Hyper-Competitive Attitude. IJHS. 2022;9(2):27-31. doi: 10.22100/ijhs.v9i2.949.
- Sanjari S, Kamali A, Amirfakhraei A, Mohammadi Soleimani MR, Afshar EK. Construction and validation of a self-report violence scale in Iranian women. Journal of Fundamentals of Mental Health. 2021;23(3):181-89. doi: 10.22038/jfmh.2021.18583.
- Burback S. Construct Validity of the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Third Edition Teacher Rating Scales (BASC-3 TRS): Comparisons with the Adjustment Scales for Children and Adolescents (ASCA). Eastern Illinois University; 2020. Available from: https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/4783.
- Torabi B, Amirfakhraei A, Gazaki PR, Soleimani MRM. Predicting the Psychological well-being of Working Children Based on Work Anxiety, School Anxiety and Hope for Education in Bandar Abbas. JPEN. 2023;9(4):44-51. doi: 10.22034/jpen.9.4.44.
- Yeganeh H, Parvaresh H, Mohsen Dehghani G, MohammadiSoleimani M. Validation of the HSE Assessment Tools in the Kerman Province Steel Industry Complex: A Case Study. sjsph. 2023;20(4):423-34. Available from: http://sjsph.tums.ac.ir/article-1-6181-en.html.
- Gliem JA, Gliem RR. Calculating, interpreting, and reporting Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient for Likert-type scales. Midwest Research-to-Practice Conference in Adult; Continuing, and Community Education; 2003. Available from: https://core.ac.uk/reader/46954970.
- Bujang MA, Omar ED, Baharum NA. A Review on Sample Size Determination for Cronbach's Alpha Test: A Simple Guide for Researchers. Malays J Med Sci. 2018;25(6):85-99. doi: 10.21315/mjms2018.25.6.9. PubMed PMID: 30914882; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6422571.
- Cho E, Kim S. Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha: Well Known but Poorly Understood. Organizational Research Methods, 2015;18(2):207. doi: 10.1177/109442811455599.
- Liu A, Shi Y, Zhao Y, Ni J. Influence of academic involution atmosphere on college students’ stress response: the chain mediating effect of relative deprivation and academic involution. BMC Public Health. 2024;24(1):870. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-18347-7. PubMed PMID: 38515074; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10956225.
- Liu A, Wang Y, Chen Z, Jianchao N. Academic involution and mental internal friction of college students: the mediating role of academic stress and the moderating role of rumination. Asia-Pacific Edu Res. 2024. doi: 10.1007/s40299-024-00915-5.
- Zhang S, Sulong RMB, Hassan NBC. Perceived double reduction policy, perception of educational involution: Exploring the mediating role of parental educational anxiety and the moderating influence of gender—Insights from a survey conducted in a City in China. Eur J Educ. 2024;59(2). doi: 10.1111/ejed.12604.
- Fletcher T, Nusbaum D. Development of the Competitive Work Environment Scale: A Multidimensional Climate Construct. Educ Psychol Meas. 2010;70:105-24. doi: 10.1177/0013164409344492.
- Jamshidi A, Hossien T, Sajadi SS, Safari K, Zare G. The relationship between sport orientation and competitive anxiety in elite athletes. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences. 2011;30:1161–5. doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.10.226.
- Gill DL, Deeter TE. Development of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. 1988;59(3):191–202. doi: 10.1080/02701367.1988.10605504.
- Griffin-Pierson S. The Competitiveness Questionnaire: a measure of two components of competitiveness. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development. 1990;23(3). Available from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ426830
- Newby JL, Klein RG. Competitiveness reconceptualized: Psychometric development of the competitiveness orientation measure as a unified measure of trait competitiveness. Psychol Rec. 2014;64:879–95. doi: 10.1007/s40732-014-0083-2.
|