Refining the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire Version 2 (PCDEQ2) for use with competitive American youth athletes

Many studies have advocated for tools measuring psychological attributes in athletes. However, recent research has cautioned the uncritical cross-cultural interpretation of tools developed within specific athletic contexts. While some incompatibility across different contexts is reasonably expected, it remains unclear whether adjustments are also necessary when traversing apparently similar contexts. Therefore, this study explored the transferability of the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire – Version 2 (PCDEQ2), a psychometric tool developed in the United Kingdom, with youth athletes from the United States of America. Firstly, a series of comprehension tests led to the modification of 29.5% (26/88) of the original items. Then, a confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the modified PCDEQ2 was unsuitable for an American sample (n = 302, 15.6 ± 1.7 years). Consequently, an exploratory factor analysis produced an Americanized version (PCDEQ-US), with a new 8-factor structure, retaining 92.0% (81/88) of the original items and explaining 44% of the total variance. The results suggest that the PCDEQ-US is a valid and reliable measure of psychological attributes, which provides practical value specifically for American athletes, coaches and practitioners. These findings also highlight the importance of careful consideration during the cross-cultural application of tools developed in specific athletic contexts.