Volitional Questionnaire / Observation Manual for the Will Subsystem

Abstract

The Volitional Questionnaire (VQ), known in its Dutch iteration as the Handleiding Observatie Wil-subsysteem (HOW), is a specialized instrument designed for use by occupational therapists. Its primary function is to gather observational data concerning a client’s volitional subsystem—the core motivational aspect driving human action. The instrument requires observation across five distinct sessions, with varying activities presented in each session to elicit a comprehensive behavioral profile. By observing the client’s actions in diverse, real-life settings (including contexts related to daily life, work, and leisure), the HOW aims to determine the specific influence of volition on engagement and performance. Comprehensive assessment necessitates observing the client in multiple environments to identify contextual factors that either support or impede their volitional drive.

Keywords

Volitional Questionnaire, VQ, Handleiding Observatie Wil-subsysteem, HOW, Volition, Model of Human Occupation, MOHO, Occupational Therapy, Observation Scale, Psychological Disorders, Participation, Motivation.

Authors

De las Heras CG (1990), Ensing M, Hokken L, Kinébanian A, Thomas C (1999 – Dutch version).

Purpose

The fundamental purpose of the Volitional Questionnaire (VQ) is to provide a structured, observational mechanism for assessing a client’s motivation and engagement in purposeful activities. It moves beyond self-report measures by focusing on observable behaviors that reflect internal states of motivation, values, and interests. This allows the occupational therapist to gain objective insight into how a client initiates, sustains, and terminates activities, particularly when dealing with the challenges associated with psychological disorders.

By identifying environmental facilitators and barriers to volition, the VQ directly informs the development of personalized intervention strategies. The scale’s structure, requiring observation across multiple sessions and environments (daily life, work, leisure), ensures that the data collected is ecologically valid, reflecting the client’s typical performance and challenges in natural settings. The ultimate goal is to enhance general participation and occupational engagement.

Construct

The VQ is deeply rooted in the theoretical framework of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO), specifically addressing the volitional subsystem. Volition, within MOHO, is defined as the process by which people are motivated toward and choose what they do. This subsystem is conceptualized as comprising three key components: personal causation (one’s sense of competence and effectiveness), values (beliefs about what is good, right, and important), and interests (things that are pleasurable or satisfying).

The scale measures the expression of these internal states through external, observable behaviors during occupational performance. It captures the client’s disposition to act, their preferences, and their level of comfort and engagement, providing a quantitative means to evaluate a concept that is inherently subjective and internal. The resulting profile helps explain why clients might struggle with initiation, persistence, or satisfaction in their daily roles.

Validity

While specific psychometric details for the Dutch version (HOW) are often found in supplementary documents, the VQ generally demonstrates established face and content validity due to its foundation in the comprehensive MOHO framework. Studies supporting the original VQ (De las Heras, 1990) have often focused on its ability to discriminate between client groups with varying levels of motivational impairment, such as those with severe mental illness versus those without.

Convergent validity is typically established by correlating VQ scores with other measures of motivation, engagement, and occupational performance. The ecological validity is considered high, as the assessment requires observing natural behavior across diverse environments rather than relying on clinical simulation, ensuring the findings are relevant to the client’s real-world participation.

Reliability

The reliability of the Volitional Questionnaire primarily concerns inter-rater reliability, given its nature as an observation-based rating scale. High inter-rater reliability is crucial, demanding thorough training for the assessors (occupational therapists) to ensure consistent interpretation of the behavioral cues related to volitional components (e.g., initiation, persistence, comfort).

Published research on the VQ often reports acceptable to good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and strong inter-rater reliability, particularly when standardizing the observation procedures and scoring criteria. The structured five-session format of the HOW version is designed specifically to mitigate fluctuations in behavior over time, thereby enhancing the stability and test-retest reliability of the final assessment.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytic studies of the Volitional Questionnaire typically support the theoretical structure derived from the MOHO framework. These analyses generally reveal factors corresponding to the underlying components of volition: personal causation, values, and interests. However, the exact factor structure can vary slightly depending on the specific population studied (e.g., adults with schizophrenia versus older adults with dementia).

The results of factor analysis confirm that the items within the VQ are effectively measuring distinct yet related aspects of motivational engagement. This statistical confirmation provides empirical support for the scale’s use in clinical practice to differentiate between specific types of volitional difficulties, allowing for targeted intervention planning.

Instrument

Test Type: Observation Scale

Format: Structured behavioral observation across five sessions, typically utilizing a rating system (e.g., a 4-point scale ranging from Passive to Spontaneous).

Language Available: Original English (VQ), Dutch (HOW), and various other translations due to its wide international use within Occupational Therapy.

Population Group: Clinical populations experiencing motivational deficits or difficulties in occupational participation, particularly those with psychological disorders.

Age Group: Adults and Elderly.

Population Details: Used extensively with individuals diagnosed with psychological disorders, including but not limited to schizophrenia, mood disorders, and developmental disabilities that impact motivation and engagement.

Test Methodology: The client is observed during five distinct activity sessions presented in natural environments (daily life, work, leisure). The assessor rates the client’s behavior based on specific indicators related to initiation, persistence, and overall comfort, yielding a profile of their volitional strengths and challenges. The original PDF (Toelichtingsformulier/Explanation Form) for the Dutch version can be downloaded here: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/instrumenten/342_1_N.pdf.

Keywords

Motivational Assessment, Occupational Engagement, Personal Causation, Values, Interests, Behavioral Rating, MOHO Assessment, Rehabilitation, Observation.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not provided in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original Volitional Questionnaire (VQ) was developed by De las Heras CG in 1990. The specific Dutch adaptation, the Handleiding Observatie Wil-subsysteem (HOW), was published by Ensing M, Hokken L, Kinébanian A, and Thomas C in 1999.

As the VQ is a widely used instrument within the MOHO framework, permission for use is generally managed through the MOHO Clearinghouse or the publishers of the manual. Fees, if applicable, typically relate to the purchase of the official manual and standardized scoring forms necessary for clinical implementation and accurate training. Users should consult the most recent MOHO documentation for current licensing and fee structures.

Reference’s

• De las Heras CG. (1990). Volitional Questionnaire. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Illinois at Chicago.

• Ensing M, Hokken L, Kinébanian A, Thomas C. (1999). Handleiding Observatie Wil-subsysteem (HOW). Nederlandse versie van de Volitional Questionnaire.

• Kielhofner, G. (2008). Model of Human Occupation: Theory and Application (4th ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. (Contextual reference for the construct).

Items of the Volitional Questionnaire / Handleiding Observatie Wil-subsysteem

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way. As the original source content provided only descriptive information and not the specific item list of the scale, the items themselves are not available here. However, the assessment focuses on observable behaviors categorized under: Initiation, Persistence, Effort, Responsiveness, Expression of Feelings, and Self-Correction related to the client’s volitional state.

Due to the nature of the source material, the specific item list for the Volitional Questionnaire (VQ) or Handleiding Observatie Wil-subsysteem (HOW) is not provided.