Analysis

The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ) was designed to assess will, initiative, and autonomy in children. The scale was developed by Mary A. Law and her colleagues to better understand how children choose and control their activities and behaviors.

Purpose

The main goal of the PVQ is to evaluate children’s volition and autonomy—that is, their ability to make choices and take initiative in their lives. The tool focuses on assessing internal drive, persistence, and the ability of children to choose and participate in activities according to their preferences and needs.

Scoring

The PVQ includes questions that evaluate motivation, desire, autonomy, persistence, resilience, and preferences. Scoring is performed using a Likert scale or other rating scales, where responses are described on a scale measuring the frequency or intensity of voluntary behavior. Total scores are derived from the analysis of responses across each domain.

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.