Development and validation of the Japanese version of the Sport Engagement Scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop a Japanese version of the Sport Engagement Scale (SES-J), evaluate its reliability and validity among Japanese competitive athletes, and examine its associations with athlete characteristics. Traditionally, research in sport psychology has focused primarily on negative psychological constructs; however, increasing attention has recently been directed toward assessing positive psychological involvement in sport. Within this context, engagement—originally conceptualized in industrial and organizational psychology—has gained prominence as a positive psychological state characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption, and its application to the sport domain has expanded in recent years. Despite this progress, no validated Japanese version of the scale has existed, resulting in a lack of measurement infrastructure necessary for domestic research, international comparison, and the development of practical interventions. In this study, we developed the SES-J and evaluated its psychometric properties using data from 291 Japanese competitive athletes. The results supported the original three-factor structure (vigor, dedication, and absorption), and model fit indices indicated an acceptable level of fit. The SES-J demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (α = .802–.923) and a moderate negative correlation with the Japanese version of the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ-J; r = −.496, p < .001). No significant associations were found between SES-J scores and age, years of competitive experience, or weekly training hours, and no significant differences were observed based on sex or sport type. However, comparisons across competitive levels showed that both the SES- J total score and the vigor subscale were significantly higher among athletes competing at the regional level than among those at the prefectural level, the lowest competition tier in the sample. Beyond this point, SES-J scores did not show a further increase at higher competitive levels.