Description

The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ) is an assessment instrument designed to examine volition, initiative, and autonomy in children. It focuses on how children make choices, express personal preferences, and exercise control over their activities and behavior.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PVQ is to assess volitional behavior and autonomy in children, particularly their ability to make choices, take initiative, and participate in activities according to their individual preferences and needs. The instrument also addresses aspects such as intrinsic motivation, persistence, and active engagement.

Assessment Dimensions

According to the available source material, the PVQ examines characteristics related to motivation, desire, autonomy, persistence, resilience, and preferences. Together, these dimensions provide a broader understanding of the way a child engages in and responds to everyday activities.

Scoring

Scoring is based on rating scales that reflect the frequency or intensity of volitional behavior. Responses or observations are analyzed across the relevant domains in order to develop an overall profile of the child’s volition and participation.

Applications

The PVQ can be used in contexts such as occupational therapy, pediatric rehabilitation, special education, and broader assessments of children’s functional participation. It may be particularly useful when direct self-report is limited or when systematic observation of the child’s behavior during everyday activities is required.

Assessment of volition can support the planning of individualized interventions aimed at strengthening initiative, choice, autonomy, persistence, and meaningful participation.

References

Law, M., et al. (1995). The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire: Measuring volition in children with disabilities. Occupational Therapy Journal of Research, 15(1), 11–24.

Law, M., & MacDermid, J. (2002). Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire: A tool for assessing volitional behavior in children with disabilities. Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 69(5), 232–243.

Coster, W. J., & Law, M. (2003). The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire and its use in assessing the volitional behavior of children with disabilities. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 57(4), 358–365.

Hammel, J., & Law, M. (2004). Understanding and measuring volitional behavior in children: Insights from the Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire. Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(6), 752–765.

Terry, D., & Law, M. (2007). Assessing volition and its impact on participation and performance in children. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 1(2), 129–137.