Assessment Of Self-determination Research Articles

Assessment of self-determination in mental health: A new application field of the AUTODDIS scale.

Self-determination enhances well-being and quality of life. It is also considered a fundamental pillar in improving the efficacy of interventions used to treat people with severe mental disorders (SMD). Yet the assessment of self-determination in relation to mental health requires further research. The aim of this study was to analyze the adequacy and psychometric properties of the AUTODDIS scale in a Spanish population with SMD. The scale was originally developed and validated to assess self-determination in people with intellectual disability. The scale was administered to a sample of 333 adults with SMD (M = 47.6 years, SD = 11.68), most of whom were receiving treatment in an outpatient setting or at long-stay care facilities in six specialized centers in Spain. The quality of the items and the reliability of the scale and its subscales were analyzed. External validity was also explored, and confirmatory factor analysis was used to analyze the fit of the data to different models. The results indicate that the scale demonstrated sufficient evidence of reliability and validity, supporting the adequacy of its use in the field of mental health. The use of this scale as a tool to assess self-determination and its domains in the mental health field is warranted. The article also discusses the need for more research and assessment tools to facilitate decision making by clinical and organizational stakeholders in promoting self-determination. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Assessment of Self-Determination in Spanish and American Adolescents: The Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report.

The purpose of this study was to explore the cross-cultural validity of the Self-Determination Inventory: Student Report, a newly developed measure of self-determination grounded in Causal Agency Theory. The tool was translated to Spanish and administered to American and Spanish adolescents. The sample was structured to include adolescents with and without intellectual disability in both cultural contexts. More than 3,000 students in the U.S. and Spain aged 13 to 22 completed the assessment. Findings suggest that the same set of items can be used across cultural contexts and in youth with and without intellectual disability, although there are some specific differences in item functioning across students with and without intellectual disability in Spain that must be further researched. There were specific patterns of differences in latent self-determination means, with students with intellectual disability scoring lower in the U.S. and Spain. Implications for assessment research and practice in diverse cultural contexts are explored.

Assessment of Self-Determination in Adolescents with Neonatal Brachial Plexus Palsy

BackgroundThe term self-determination refers to decision-making, goal setting, and perseverance to achieve those goals. Numerous studies have established the importance of self-determination to enhance learning and improve postschool outcomes. However, most studies evaluate students with learning disabilities, cognitive impairment, or behavioral disabilities. There is an absence of research on self-determination for adolescents with physical disabilities. ObjectiveTo assess self-determination of adolescents with neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) compared with their typically developing peers via self-reported measures of function. DesignCase-control study. SettingBrachial plexus clinic. ParticipantsTwenty adolescents with NBPP (aged 10-17 years) and their parents and 20 age/gender-matched typically developing adolescents and their parents were recruited. Non–English-speaking participants and those with other physical impairments were excluded from study. MethodsParticipants completed demographic and American Institutes for Research (AIR) self-determination surveys. One of two designated occupational therapists evaluated participant physical function. Main Outcome MeasurementsA demographic survey and AIR self-determination assessment were administered, and active range of motion measurements in shoulder forward flexion, elbow flexion, elbow extension, forearm pronation, and supination were obtained. Grip/pinch strength, MRC muscle strength, 9-Hole Peg Test, and Mallet scale scores also were evaluated. ResultsDespite physical differences, adolescents with NBPP presented similar self-determination levels as their typically developing peers. Adolescents with NBPP rated their opportunities to engage in self-determined behaviors at school significantly lower than at home. Both adolescents with NBPP and those in the control group rated their opportunities to engage in self-determined behaviors at school significantly lower than at home. ConclusionsAdolescents with NBPP presented similar self-determination scores as their age/gender-matched typically developing peers. These results could be a reflection of our program’s patient- and family-centered care approach. Therefore, caregivers and providers should encourage personal development and fulfillment in adolescents with NBPP. Teachers and schools should be aware that opportunities for acquiring self-determination skills might be more limited at school than at home in this age group. Level of EvidenceIII

“Steering Our Own Ship?” An Assessment of Self-Determination and Self-Governance for Community Development in Nunavut

Climate change, the global demand for energy, and the depletion of easily accessible natural resources has led to an increase in mining activities in the Arctic, including in Nunavut, a region rich in resources but remote in comparison to the rest of Canada. Nunavut is a predominantly Inuit socio-political region created in 1999 via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (NLCA) (1993). The NLCA also enshrined the Inuit right to manage the region’s minerals and other natural resources. Yet, despite this power to “steer their own ship,” Inuit communities struggle to maximize the benefits from resource development. Pond Inlet is a coastal hamlet on Baffin Island close to the newly operational Mary River Iron Ore Mine, an open pit mine with the potential to bring significant economic opportunities to the region. Using a framework developed by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development, a case study of Pond Inlet highlights factors that contribute to and hinder Arctic Aboriginal communities’ successful local development. A total of 47 semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants in Pond Inlet and the territory’s capital, Iqaluit. Findings underscore the importance of Indigenous community self-determination, effective and culturally relevant governing institutions, and clear visioning for the future. In Pond Inlet, key barriers to maximizing local benefits relate to institutional and governance challenges. Evidence from this study suggests that Pond Inlet will better succeed with local community development by strengthening its governance mechanisms to support the goals of self-determination.

Gegenwärtige rechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für den Betrieb und die Nutzung von Biobanken

Informed consent of donors of biomaterials represents an essential pillar of legal conformity of business organizations even for biobanks. For the assessment of self-determination of donors and freedom of research for users of biobanks there is a general consensus on the necessity for a social and individual agreement for the participation of donors in research projects. However, demands are often made for which the legal implementation is at least contentious and can be considered as excessive and biased. In part 2 of this review series the current legal foundation of data protection and informed consent is summarized on the basis of normative and ethical principles. With respect to appropriation of data and biosamples it can be deduced that by conformation to corresponding framework conditions the informed consent of donors in particular can be constructed independent of the project.

Which comes first, the nation or the state? A multiple scale model applied to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict in the Caucasus

The aim of this article is to propose and apply a conceptual model to evaluate how national identity, state interests and territory, including both state territory and national homeland, may be interwoven in a particular conflict. The frozen conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in the south Caucasus, the selected case study, appears to defy resolution efforts based on an assessment of self-determination of nations or on territorial integrity of the state. The article begins with the view that one-dimensional conceptions of ‘state’ and ‘nation’ are insufficient for understanding complex relations underlying territorial conflict. It is suggested that a more comprehensive understanding may be obtained and applied toward conflict resolution through a consideration of multiple scales and dimensions of activity in a particular conflict. The article focuses not only on the roles of states and nations, but also considers the meanings of territory and, most importantly, contributing factors to a sufficient capacity to compromise.

Assessment of Self-Determination—Negotiating the Minefield

Baker, Horner, Sappington, and Ard (in this issue) identified a variety of needs and challenges related to the assessment of self-determination in the field of developmental disability. This response augments Baker et al.'s call, identifying issues related to the use and abuse of assessing self-determination and suggesting an empowerment evaluation approach to these efforts.