Developing the MUSIC Model of Athletic Motivation Inventory as a Measure of Motivational Climate: An Initial Investigation of Factorial Validity

The purpose of this investigation was to develop and gather initial factorial validity evidence for the MUSIC Model of Athletic Motivation Inventory, a multidimensional measure designed to assess athletes’ perceptions of the motivational climate during practice. Two studies were conducted with National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I student-athletes at a large U.S. public university. In Study 1, 25 preliminary items were adapted from the MUSIC Model of Academic Motivation Inventory and refined through expert review and exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, a revised set of 20 items was administered, evaluated, and reduced to a final 14-item inventory. Exploratory factor analyses supported a five-factor structure aligned with the MUSIC model components (i.e., eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Caring), with strong loadings and no cross-loadings. Internal consistency reliability was good to excellent across scales (α = .81–.91). The findings provide initial evidence that the MUSIC Athletic Inventory is a psychometrically sound tool for assessing motivational climate in athletic environments. This inventory offers coaches a practical means of identifying strengths and weaknesses in their practices and supports future research on motivation processes in athletics. Further studies are needed to examine additional forms of validity and to test the measure across broader athlete samples.