Cognitive Interference in Sports - Validation of a German Version of the Thoughts Occurrence Questionnaire Sport (TOQS)

Concentration is essential for athletic performance. The disturbance of concentration by thoughts is called cognitive interference. In English-speaking countries, this interference is assessed with the Thought Occurrence Questionnaire for Sport (TOQS; Hatzigeorgiadis & Biddle, 2000). The present study validated a German version (TOQS-D) on two samples consisting of a total of 348 athletes (56% male, M-age = 25, SDage = 6, 61 % team sports, 53% national team members). An exploratory factor analysis (Sample 1) and a confirmatory factor analysis (Sample 2) confirmed the structure of the original version with three correlated factors: performance worries, task-irrelevant thoughts, and thoughts of escape. The scale has good reliability scores (internal consistency: alpha = .89; test-retest reliability: r = .82). In addition, the TOQS-D shows the expected convergent (concentration disruption, competition anxiety), divergent (mindfulness), and criterion validity (self-assessment of athletic performance). The TOQS-D can be considered an appropriate questionnaire, and its applications in practice and research is discussed.