Evaluating the psychometric properties of the Working Memory Questionnaire (WMQ) in Malaysian tertiary-level chess players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33736/jcshd.8886.2025Keywords:
working memory, chess players, tertiary education, confirmatory factor analysisAbstract
Playing chess has been shown to significantly enhance working memory performance. The original Working Memory Questionnaire (WMQ) is a reliable tool for assessing working memory in both healthy and unhealthy individuals, as validated in the context of France. However, the WMQ has not yet been validated for use with tertiary-level chess players in Malaysia, raising concerns about its reliability and applicability in this context. This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and factor structure of the WMQ among Malaysian tertiary-level chess players. A total of 357 participants completed the 30-item of WMQ and demographics information. Cronbach’s Alpha was used to assess the reliability of the scale, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine the validity and factor structure of the WMQ. The results showed a high Cronbach’s Alpha of .971, indicating strong internal consistency. Additionally, CFA suggested that all items were well-correlated. To improve model fit, CFA recommended the removal of one redundant item with low factor loadings. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that the WMQ is both reliable and valid for evaluating working memory in tertiary-level chess players in Malaysia.
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