Structural Validation of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale in the Current Greek Dance Context: The Role of Gender and Dance Type

The present study aimed to validate the Greek version of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS-7) in the current Greek dance context. Gender and dance type were also examined as factors differentiating Social Physique Anxiety (SPA). Participants were 95 male and 320 female dancers representing Greek traditional, classical ballet, contemporary, and Latin dance types. The Greek version of SPAS-7 was used to collect the research data. Statistical analyses of the data included descriptive and inferential statistics, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), internal consistency and structural validity assessments, independent-samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Results revealed that: (a) the EFA identified a single factor (SPA) which accounted for 66.50% of the total variance, (b) the CFA confirmed the unidimensional structure of the scale, (c) the composite reliability and average variance extracted values demonstrated high reliability and convergent validity, (d) gender was a significant factor for SPA differentiation, with females reporting higher scores than males, and (e) participants in classical ballet showed the highest SPA levels, in contrast to participants in Greek traditional dance, who showed the lowest levels. It is concluded that the Greek version of SPAS-7 can be confidently used in research, while gender and dance type are factors differentiating SPA levels.