Psychological diagnostics in the talent development program of the German Football Association: Psychometric properties of an Internet-based test battery

The present study analyzes whether a multifaceted, football-specific and age-appropriate, Internet-based test battery in the talent development program of the German Football Association has acceptable psychometric properties in terms of reliability and validity. Additionally, the manuscript examines if this survey is affected by socially desirable responding (SDR). The study sample consists of male players within the U12 to U15 age groups. The psychological diagnostics capture personality characteristics assigned to motivation, volition, self-referential cognition, and emotion. A consistency analysis shows satisfying statistical values of Cronbach’s alpha, average inter-item correlation and corrected item-total correlation coefficients. Valid relationships between the psychological constructs were found. For the purpose of criterion validation, the comparison between a subgroup that was selected to a higher performance level and the total group of players illustrates the personality characteristics’ relationship with football performance. A comparison between an anonymous and personalized group as well as correlation of SDR scales with the psychological tests does reveal small effects of social desirability that should be further considered. These findings demonstrate a scientifically sound assessment of the personality characteristics within talented football players. Further research on the characteristics’ stability and prognostic power is needed to apply these diagnostics in order to support youth development in football.