This study aims to develop and validate an audience experience scale for breaking competitions, in order to systematically identify the experiential structure of spectators while watching breaking battles. Grounded in the five-dimensional evaluation s...
This study aims to develop and validate an audience experience scale for breaking competitions, in order to systematically identify the experiential structure of spectators while watching breaking battles. Grounded in the five-dimensional evaluation system presented in the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) Breaking Rules and Judging Manual, the research constructs measurement items based on the dimensions of Technique, Musicality, Execution, Vocabulary, and Originality. The scale was developed and examined through the Delphi method, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. This study was conducted in three stages. In the first stage, based on the WDSF five-dimensional judging framework and relevant literature, two rounds of Delphi surveys were administered to experts to generate and refine the initial measurement items for breaking audience experience, thereby establishing an item pool with content validity. In the second stage, questionnaire data were collected from general spectators aged 20 and above across the country using a video-based experimental design. Exploratory factor analysis was performed to identify the latent structure of breaking audience experience and to refine the items. In the third stage, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on an independent sample to evaluate the model fit, reliability, and validity of the scale. Data for both the EFA and CFA were collected by the professional online research firm Embrain using a quota random sampling method. The results indicated that the final scale consisted of 25 items. Five factors were extracted through exploratory factor analysis, accounting for 63.848% of the total variance. The factor structure was highly consistent with the WDSF five-dimensional evaluation framework, corresponding to Technique, Musicality, Execution, Vocabulary, and Originality. The confirmatory factor analysis further demonstrated that the model achieved acceptable fit indices (χ²/df, SRMR, RMSEA, TLI, CFI), indicating good overall model fit. All standardized factor loadings ranged from 0.633 to 0.948, and both composite reliability (CR) and average variance extracted (AVE) met the criteria for convergent validity. HTMT values and related indices also supported satisfactory discriminant validity among the latent constructs. Taken together, the breaking audience experience scale developed in this study exhibits a clear structural configuration and strong statistical reliability, filling an important research gap in measuring audience experience in breaking events. It also provides a solid measurement foundation for future investigations into audience satisfaction, viewing intention, and event communication outcomes. Keywords: Breaking, Audience Experience Scale, WDSF Judging Criteria, Delphi Study, Factor Analysis, Construct Validation