Psychometric evaluation of the Chinese CNAAQ-2: factor structure and measurement invariance across gender and educational stages.

Beliefs about the nature of athletic ability may shape motivation and engagement in sport, yet their measurement has received limited examination in Chinese populations. This research adapted and evaluated the Chinese version of the Conceptions of the Nature of Athletic Ability Questionnaire-2 (CNAAQ-2-C) across three studies. In Study 1, ordinal exploratory factor analysis with 592 university students supported four factors, Stable, Gift, Improvement, and Learning, χ2(24) = 90.76, CFI = 0.987, TLI = 0.964, RMSEA = 0.069, and SRMR = 0.019. Study 2 replicated this structure in an independent sample of 282 university students; the correlated four-factor model showed good fit, χ2(48) = 84.89, CFI = 0.979, TLI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.052, and SRMR = 0.040, with standardized loadings from 0.645 to 0.932. Study 3 examined measurement invariance using the complete 12-item model. Configural, loading, and threshold invariance were supported across gender. Across university, primary school, and junior high school samples, configural and loading invariance were supported, whereas evidence for full threshold invariance was mixed. Overall, the CNAAQ-2-C provides a useful four-factor measure for group-level research, although mean comparisons across educational stages require caution.