An attempt to measure yips symptoms for athletes: Scale development and examination of reliability and validity

• Among 883 participants, approximately 28 % reported experiencing Yips, indicating its prevalence in sports. • Exploratory factor analysis identified two Yips symptom categories: "Physical" and "Psychological." • The Yips symptoms scale can guide referrals to support personnel for targeted interventions in sports settings. The present study aimed to measure the symptoms of Yips and examine their reliability and validity. Of the 883 participants, approximately 28% ( n =247, mean age= 30.93 years, SD =10.27; 103 women) reported experiencing Yips and were included in the main analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a two-factor structure comprising “Physical” and “Psychological” symptoms. Robust maximum likelihood estimation supported an acceptable model fit. High internal consistency was observed for both subscales. Construct validity was confirmed through correlations with the relevant subscales of the Trait Anxiety Inventory for Sports in a subsample of 72 athletes. Measurement invariance was also supported across sex and competition levels. These results suggest that the Yips Symptoms Scale is a reliable and valid measure, and that further validation using physiological and observational methods (e.g., electromyography) is warranted.