Validation of the Persian Version of the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire-2 (PCDEQ2): A Cross-sectional Psychometric and Discriminant Analysis

Abstract

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to validate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Psychological Characteristics of Developing Excellence Questionnaire, version 2 (PCDEQ2). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 528 Persian-speaking athletes in Iran (16.6 ± 2.9 years). The PCDEQ2 was translated and back-translated following established guidelines. Psychometric evaluation included descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to compare athletes by performance level (high vs. low), gender, and sport type (team vs. individual). Results: The Persian version of the PCDEQ2 demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability. The data showed an adequate fit to the original seven-factor model: χ2 (3391) = 8455.59, Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.918, Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.910, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.053, 90% CI )0.052, 0.055(, Parsimonious Comparative Fit Index (PCFI) = 0.712, CMIN/DF = 2.49, root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.078. Internal consistency for the total scale was high (α = 0.89), and all subscales met the recommended reliability threshold (α = 0.703 - 0.924). The MANOVA results revealed significant differences between high- and low-level athletes, consistent with findings from UK samples, as well as significant differences by gender and sport type. Conclusions: The Persian version of the PCDEQ2 demonstrated strong psychometric properties, supporting its use for assessing and developing psychological characteristics in Persian-speaking athletes and for guiding interventions aimed at talent development and performance enhancement.