Abstract Purpose To adapt and validate the Finnish version of the Sports Grit Scale (SGS), examine its measurement invariance, and assess convergent validity with measures of general grit and pre-performance psychobiosocial states. Methods Finnish competitive athletes, 359 participants aged 15 to 34 years, completed the Finnish version of the SGS, the Short Grit Scale, and the Psychobiosocial States Scale (PBS-S). After backtranslation, we estimated competing CFA models, evaluated reliability, measurement invariance, and convergent and discriminant validity. Results Confirmatory factor analysis supported a parsimonious 10 item three-factor structure of the SGS consisting of Giving up, Surpassing oneself, and Focusing on sport, with acceptable model fit and internal consistency. AVE was below 0.50 for all subscales, indicating limited convergent validity, with the highest value observed for Giving up. Measurement invariance was established across all groups up to the scalar level. Strict invariance was held for gender and sport modality and was partial for age and competition level. Preliminary evidence of convergent validity was observed, as positive associations emerged with the Short Grit Scale and PBS-S functional states, whereas weak or negative associations were found with dysfunctional states. Only age differed on the SGS composite, with 18 to 20 highest, 15 to 17 next, and 21 to 34 lowest. Conclusion This study delivers the first validation of the Finnish version of the SGS, supported by a parsimonious 10 item, three factor structure with acceptable reliability and largely invariant measurement across key subgroups. Associations with functional pre-performance psychobiosocial states suggest that grit may represent an adaptive element of athlete self-regulation and may have practical value for assessment and monitoring.
Brandstack et al. (Tue,) studied this question.