Between experience and measurement: masters athletes' perceptions of the 5Cs and a proposed measure

The 5Cs of Positive Youth Development - competence, confidence, connection, care, character, contribution, and risk behavior - are studied to evaluate their relevance to Masters athletes. A measure is also developed to assess these dimensions in the context of Masters sport. The study involves 25 Masters athletes who complete a semi-structured interview and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Data analysis using the Requalify AI platform identifies main categories emerging from the interviews and conducts a similarity network analysis. This study examines how Masters athletes perceive the 5Cs and develop a measure to assess these dimensions in the context of Masters sport. The study finds that Masters sport is perceived as a context for social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and relational development, articulating with the 5Cs. However, conceptual differences are observed between adolescents/young adults and Masters athletes, particularly regarding the notions of care and risk behavior. The results demonstrate theoretical and semantic coherence between the qualitative perceptions and the constructed items, providing evidence for the applicability of the 5Cs model to adult life. The findings suggest that Masters sport constitutes a favorable context for positive development, with the 5Cs remaining active and interdependent. The proposed measure is validated with high content validity coefficients (CVC ≥ 0.90) for most items. Limitations of the study include the small sample size and the need for further research to validate the measure in diverse contexts.