The Psychological Skills Inventory for Sports (PSIS) was designed to measure the following skills: Anxiety Control, Concentration, Confidence, Mental Preparation, Motivation, and Team Emphasis. This study examined the internal consistency of PSIS scales, and examined whether specific scales discriminated among differently skilled athletes (predictive validity), and whether specific scales significantly correlated with other cognitive tasks (construct validity). Collegiate athletes, intramural athletes, and nonathletes completed the PSIS and 4 cognitive tasks designed to measure similar concepts. The Confidence and Motivation scales were the only scales that demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. Analyses revealed the following: (a) the Motivation scale showed moderate predictive validity, (b) the Anxiety Control and Concentration scales showed mild predictive validity, and (c) the Confidence, Mental Preparation, and Team Emphasis scales demonstrated no predictive validity. The Anxiety Control scale was the only scale to show a relationship to cognitive function (construct validity). Data indicate the PSIS, in its present form, should not be used for applied purposes.

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