The Volitional Questionnaire: Psychometric Development and Practical Use Jen-Suh Chern, Gary Kielhofner, Carmen Gloria de las Heras, Livia C. Magalhaes Key Words: assessment process, occupational therapy • volition Jen-Suh Chern, MS, OTR, was Graduate Srudenr and Research Assistant, Deparrmenr of Occupational Therapy, College of Associated Health Professions, University ofIliinois at Chicago at the time of this study. Gary Kielhofner, D,PH, OTR, FAOTA, is Professor and Head, Deparrmenr of Occupational Therapy (M/C 811), College of Associated Health Professions, Universiry ofIliinois at Chicago, 1919 West Taylor Street, Chicago, Illinois 60612- 7250. Carmen Gloria de las Heras, MS,OTR, is an Occupational Therapist practicing and teaching in Sanriago, Chile, and Research Associate, Cenrer of Research, Deparrmenr of Occupational Therapy, Universiry of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Livia C. Magalhaes, PhD, OTR, is Assistanr Professor, Federal Universiry of Minas Gerais, Brazil. At the time of this srudy, she was Research Associate, Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Associated Health Professions, Universiry of Illinois at Chicago, and Doctoral Srudenr, College of Education, Universiry of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. This article was acceptedfor publication May 17, 1995. This article describes the Volitional Questionnaire and presents recent empirical effirts to develop and validate this instrument. The Volitional Questionnaire is an obser- vationaL method of gathering data on motivation that is designed fOr persons who are unable to self-report their own motives. Studies to date suggest that the instrument can provide a valid measure of volition, though a number oflimitations ofthe tool are noted. Implications fOr use of the Volitional Questionnaire in practice and fOr further refinement and future research are discussed. O ccupational therapy seeks ro enable clients through motivated, meaningful participation in life occupations (Fidler & Fidler, 1978; Florey, 1969; Reilly, 1962; Yerxa, 1967). Finding those oc- cupations that elicit a motivated response and discovering ways ro stimulate motivation are central tasks of oc- cupational therapy (Burke, 1977; Doble, 1988; Mattingly & Fleming, 1994). Additionally, poor motivation can be an impediment ro adaptive functioning. Motivational problems may lead persons ro perform suboptimally, avoid occupational performance, or make poor choices for engaging in occupations (Burke, 1977; Doble, 1988; Florey, 1969). Data collected on a person's motivation enables the occupational therapist to identify motivation- al barriers to functioning and to plan appropriate inter- vention (Burke, 1977; Doble, 1988; Hemphill, 1988; Mosey, 1986). A widely used approach to conceptualizing motiva- tion is the concept of voli tion from the Model of Human Occupation (Kielhofner, Borell, Burke, Helfrich, & Ny- gaardt, 1995; Kielhofner & Burke, 1985). This concept proposes that motivation consists of (a) a stable structure of dispositions and self-awareness and (b) a dynamic pro- cess of anticipating, choosing, experiencing, and reflect- ing on one's actions. Dispositions refer to innate and acquired emotional and cognitive orientations tOward the world. Self-knowledge refers to the image of self as an actOr that is built up from experience. Three areas comprise volitional self-knowledge and dispositions (Kielhofner et al., 1995). The first is personal causation, a person's view of his or her capacities and sense of efficacy in effecting desired outcomes. Personal causa- tion dispositions may include, for example, a readiness to engage in action with confidence or a tendency to feel anxious and expect failure in performance situations. The second area, values, refers to one's convictions concerning what is important or what matters in one's own behavior. One's values are uniquely configured and reflect how one sees the world. Value dispositions are the felt obligations July/August, ! 996. Volume 50, Number 7 516 Downloaded From: http://ajot.aota.org/ on 10/18/2018 Terms of Use: http://AOTA.org/terms