Translational mindset scale: evidence on internal structure

Introduction Translational programs increasingly require tools to assess whether academics are willing and prepared to move research into industry and practice. However, few instruments are available to measure translational mindset in academic research contexts. This pilot study examined construct validity evidence for the Translational Mindset Scale (TMS), a 22-item domain-adapted instrument designed to assess four dimensions of research translation: Personal Attraction, Perceived Social Norms, Self-Efficacy, and Translation Intention. Methods Data were collected from 257 U.S.-based academics in engineering, medical/biological sciences, and physical sciences. The internal structure of the TMS was examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), comparing unidimensional, four-factor, higher-order, and bi-factor models. Internal consistency was evaluated using McDonald's omega, and Item Response Theory (IRT) models were used to examine item-level performance. Results The four-factor correlated model provided the best fit to the data, outperforming the unidimensional and higher-order models, while the bi-factor model did not converge. The scale showed excellent overall internal consistency ( ω = 0.96). CFA and IRT findings indicated that most items performed well. Item discrimination was generally strong, with the Translation Intention items showing the highest discrimination values, indicating that these items were especially effective at distinguishing respondents across levels of translational mindset. Discussion Findings provide preliminary construct validity evidence for the TMS as a measure of translational mindset among academic researchers. The results support the proposed four-dimensional structure while also identifying areas for future refinement. Additional validation studies with larger and more diverse samples are needed to examine the scale's performance across research fields and translational training contexts.