Advances in the assessment of self-determination: internal structure of a scale for people with intellectual disabilities aged 11 to 40

Abstract

Background: Advances in theoretical frameworks of self-determination require the development of new assessment instruments. This study examines the dimensional structure of a self-determination scale and analyses the factorial invariance of its measurement across age and gender.

Method: The AUTODDIS Scale was used to assess the self-determination of 541 people with intellectual disabilities aged from 11 to 40.

Results: Different models (correlational and hierarchical structures) of the scale were tested. The correlational model obtained from the exploratory structural equation model approach provided the best fit for the data. The results also supported measurement invariance across youths (aged 11 to 21 years) and adults (aged 21 to 40 years) and across genders.

Conclusions: This study contributes to international research on self-determination and the development of assessment tools in this field, offering a better understanding of this multifaceted and complex construct. The results provide construct validity evidence regarding a new measurement tool tested across people aged 11 to 40, using information from third parties. However, further research is needed to explore the best ways to understand and assess the different factors related to self-determination.

Keywords: adults; assessment; dimensionality; intellectual disability; invariance; self-determination; youths.