The Academic Motivation Scale (AMS): Factorial structure, invariance, and validity in the Italian context

The main purpose of this study was to validate an Italian version of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). A sample of 618 high school students completed the Italian translation of the AMS, also indicating their intentions to persist in versus drop out of school and their performance in a series of exams. Results of a confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five-factor structure of the AMS and showed factorial invariance across gender and types of schools. The Italian version of the AMS had satisfactory levels of internal consistency and the correlations among the AMS subscales were consistent with the simplex pattern hypothesized by the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). In addition, the relationships between the AMS scores and the two measured motivational consequences were confirmed. In sum, the present findings provide adequate support for the factorial validity and reliability of the AMS and support its use in educational research on motivation.