Psychometric Properties and Gender Invariance of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale: A Study in the Chinese Cultural Context

Background.Student-athletes face unique challenges balancing academic and athletic roles.Understanding how these two identities interact and influence student-athletes' selfperception is essential for assessing their ability to manage both effectively.Objectives.The study aimed to validate the Chinese version of the Academic and Athletic Identity Scale (AAIS-C) among Chinese university athletes and test its measurement invariance across gender groups.Methods.464 Chinese university athletes (M = 20 years, SD = 1.62) participated.The English version of AAIS was translated into Chinese using a forward-backward translation procedure.Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine the two-factor model.Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) was employed to test measurement invariance across gender.Results.CFA results indicated that the hypothesized two-factor model fit well (CFI = 0.978, TLI = 0.972, SRMR = 0.023, RMSEA = 0.051).Cronbach's alpha values for academic and athletic identity were 0.895 and 0.914, respectively, and their composite reliability values were 0.895 and 0.915, indicating high internal consistency and convergent validity.The AVE values for academic and athletic identity were 0.631 and 0.641, demonstrating adequate convergent validity.A negative correlation (r = -0.246) between the two identities confirmed discriminant validity.Multi-group CFA results demonstrated measurement invariance for AAIS-C across gender groups.Conclusion.The AAIS-C is a valid tool for assessing identity among Chinese university student-athletes.Furthermore, the scale is suitable for making meaningful comparisons across gender groups, with stable measurement properties and cross-cultural applicability.