Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ)

Abstract

The Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ) is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to assess the confidence of injured athletes in their ability to successfully execute and adhere to their prescribed rehabilitation programs. Developed primarily by Milne, Hall, and Forwell (2005), the scale consists of 10 items rated on a percentage scale ranging from 0% (no confidence) to 100% (complete confidence). The AISEQ is structured into three distinct subscales: Task Self-Efficacy, Barrier Self-Efficacy, and Scheduling Self-Efficacy, providing a nuanced understanding of an athlete’s perceived capabilities during recovery.

Keywords

Athletic Injury, Self-efficacy, Rehabilitation Adherence, Sport Psychology, Injury Recovery, Psychometrics, Confidence.

Authors

Milne, M., Hall, C., Forwell, L.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the AISEQ is to quantify an athlete’s belief in their capacity to manage the complex and often challenging behaviors required during the recovery phase following a sports injury. High levels of self-efficacy regarding rehabilitation adherence are consistently linked to better outcomes, faster return to sport, and reduced risk of re-injury. By measuring this construct, clinicians and researchers can identify athletes who may require targeted psychological interventions to bolster their confidence.

The scale serves as a valuable tool for monitoring progress throughout the recovery process and for predicting future adherence behaviors. It allows physiotherapists and athletic trainers to understand specific areas of concern—whether the athlete doubts their ability to perform the tasks themselves, overcome personal barriers, or manage the scheduling demands of the program.

Construct

The AISEQ measures domain-specific Self-Efficacy, a core concept derived from Albert Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory. Self-efficacy is defined as an individual’s belief in their ability to execute courses of action required to manage prospective situations. In the context of athletic injury, this belief system is critical as recovery often involves pain, frustration, and significant time commitment.

The scale operationalizes self-efficacy across three crucial domains relevant to adherence: Task performance, management of internal and external barriers, and effective scheduling of mandatory exercises. This multi-dimensional approach acknowledges that confidence is not unitary but varies based on the specific challenge presented.

Validity

Initial studies establishing the AISEQ demonstrated satisfactory levels of construct validity. The scale was shown to correlate positively with actual adherence behaviors and other psychological factors known to influence recovery, such as imagery use (Milne et al., 2005; Wesch et al., 2011). Athletes reporting higher levels of self-efficacy on the AISEQ were generally found to be more compliant with their prescribed therapeutic exercises.

Furthermore, the scale’s ability to differentiate between athletes based on their recovery progress and adherence levels supports its predictive validity within the sport rehabilitation setting. The clear theoretical grounding in Bandura’s framework and the alignment of the subscales with practical adherence challenges further strengthen its face and content validity.

Reliability

The AISEQ has demonstrated strong internal consistency, which is a key indicator of reliability in psychometric instruments. Studies utilizing the scale typically report high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the overall scale and its three subscales, indicating that the items within each factor consistently measure the same underlying construct of confidence.

While test-retest reliability information may be variable depending on the stage of rehabilitation (as confidence naturally changes over time), the scale provides a reliable snapshot of an athlete’s current perceived capabilities, essential for clinical decision-making and longitudinal research.

Factor Analysis

The structure of the AISEQ was confirmed using factor analysis, which resulted in a three-factor solution reflecting the critical components of rehabilitation adherence. This structure ensures that the scale measures distinct yet related aspects of self-efficacy.

• Task Self-Efficacy (3 items): Confidence in performing the specific required rehabilitation exercises correctly.
• Barrier Self-Efficacy (3 items): Confidence in overcoming common psychological and physical obstacles, such as discomfort, tiredness, or bad mood, while performing exercises.
• Scheduling Self-Efficacy (4 items): Confidence in managing the logistical demands of the program, including remembering exercises, following schedules, and overcoming time constraints.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire

Format: 10 items, completed by the athlete.

Language Available: Primarily English (as developed in North American academic contexts).

Population Group: Injured Athletes (Amateur and Professional)

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults

Population Details: Individuals undergoing formal physical rehabilitation under the guidance of a physiotherapist or athletic therapist.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their confidence on a percentage scale ranging from 0% (no confidence) to 100% (complete confidence) for each item.

Keywords

AISEQ, Rehabilitation compliance, Sport injury, Psychological recovery, Confidence scale, Bandura, Adherence, Factor analysis.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not consistently provided in original documentation.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not consistently provided in original documentation.

Correspondence Address: Generally affiliated with the universities of the primary authors (e.g., Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Western Ontario).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The AISEQ was introduced and validated in academic literature primarily starting with the work of Milne, Hall, and Forwell in 2005. The instrument is often found within related academic theses and journal articles and is generally used for non-commercial research purposes without fee. The specific instrument items can often be accessed via academic repositories.

The original instrument can be found within the thesis “Evaluation of the Use of Healing Imagery in Athletic Injury Rehabilitation” by Cressman (2010). The original PDF document can be downloaded here: http://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1995&context=etd

Reference’s

• Milne, M., Hall, C, & Forwell, L. (2005). Self-efficacy, imagery use, and adherence to rehabilitation by injured athletes. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 14(2), 150-167.
• Cressman, Joel, “Evaluation of the Use of Healing Imagery in Athletic Injury Rehabilitation” (2010). Wilfrid Laurier University. Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). Paper 996.
• Cressman, Joel M., Dawson, Kimberley A. (2011). Evaluation of the Use of Healing Imagery in Athletic Injury Rehabilitation. Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity, 6(1), doi.org/10.2202/1932-0191.1060.
• Wesch, N., Hall, C., Prapavessis, H., Maddison, R., Bassett, S., Foley, L., Brooks, S., Forwell, L. (2011). Self-efficacy, imagery use, and adherence during injury rehabilitation. Scandinavian Journal of Medical & Science in Sports, 24, 72-81 doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2011.01304.x.

Items of the Athletic Injury Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (AISEQ)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. I am confident that I can perform all the required rehabilitation exercises
2. I am confident that I can follow directions from my physiotherapist
3. I am confident that I can remember all my rehabilitation exercises
4. I am confident that I can do my rehabilitation exercises when I am tired
5. I am confident that I can do my rehabilitation exercises when I am in a bad mood
6. I am confident that I can do my rehabilitation exercises when I feel I do not have the time
7. I am confident that I can do my rehabilitation exercises even though I am feeling some discomfort
8. I am confident that I can do my rehabilitation exercises regularly no matter what
9. I am confident that I can follow the rehabilitation schedule outlined by my physiotherapist
10. I am confident that I can overcome any obstacles that may hinder me from regularly doing my rehabilitation exercises