The Hidden Opponent: Developing & Validating the Black Female Athlete Anxiety Scale
Black Female Collegiate Athletes (BFCAs) navigate a unique set of stressors at the intersection of race, gender, and athletics, that lead to heightened levels of anxiety. While awareness of anxiety in college athletics has grown, existing assessment tools fail to account for the intersectional challenges that shape BFCAs’ experiences, leaving a critical gap in effective evaluation and support. This dissertation addresses this gap by developing and validating the Black Female Athlete Anxiety Scale (BFAAS), a psychometrically sound instrument designed to measure anxiety-inducing stressors specific to BFCAs. This study employed a concurrent methodological approach, as conventional validation sequences were not feasible due to the underrepresentation of BFCAs in collegiate athletics and the demanding nature of their academic and athletic commitments. A total of 116 NCAA Division I BFCAs participated in the study. The scale development process included qualitative research to generate initial items, followed by an Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to determine the underlying structure of the scale. Three primary factors emerged: Factor 1—Navigating Marginalization, Factor 2—Performance Pressure, and Factor 3—Athletic Time Constraints. Cognitive interviews were conducted simultaneously to assess item clarity, cultural relevance, and content validity. Results demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α > .80), affirming the BFAAS underlying factors as a reliable anxiety-inducing stressors among BFCAs. The findings highlighted how intersectional stressors impact BFCAs’ mental health and point to the need for culturally responsive interventions. Practical applications include integrating the BFAAS into collegiate mental health screenings to better assess BFCAs, enhance cultural x competency among coaches and sports psychologists, and support inclusive NCAA policy reforms. This study provided a foundation for future research and targeted mental health initiatives focused on the well-being of BFCAs.
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