An examination of the validity and reliability of the Positive Play Scale: findings from a Canadian national study

The Positive Play Scale (PPS) is a self-report measure that assesses responsible gambling beliefs and behaviours amongst players. The PPS was shown to be a reliable and valid measure that consisted of four subscales: Personal Responsibility, Gambling Literacy, Honesty and Control, and Pre-commitment. However, the PPS development research had limitations, including the use of an exploratory statistical approach, treating the non-normally distributed PPS item-level data as continuous, and the use of samples that consisted mainly of older players living in British Columbia, Canada. Herein, we replicated and extended the four-factor structure of the PPS using exploratory structural equation modelling with PPS item-data modelled as ordered categorical in a large and demographically diverse sample of players from across Canada (N = 5751). Once again, the four-factor structure of the PPS provided an excellent fit to the data. PPS factors were all internally consistent. Results also replicated and extended findings from prior research. Specifically, all PPS subscales were negatively correlated with measures of disordered gambling beliefs and behaviours, risk factors (e.g. impulsivity) and gambling motives (e.g. financial). Findings indicate that the PPS is a reliable and valid tool that assesses responsible gambling beliefs and behaviours, which can be used to inform responsible gambling initiatives.