Prosocial Self-Regulation Questionnaire SRQ-P

Abstract

The Prosocial Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-P) is a specialized psychometric instrument designed to assess the quality of motivation underlying children’s engagement in prosocial behaviors. Developed specifically for children in late elementary and middle school, the SRQ-P investigates the reasons why these young individuals choose to act in ways beneficial to others, aligning its structure and scoring methodology closely with the companion Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A).

This scale is grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and utilizes a concise 4-point Likert response format (ranging from “Not at All True” to “Very True”) tailored for younger respondents. It measures the degree of behavioral internalization by focusing on three specific subscales: external regulation, introjected regulation, and identified regulation. Due to the nature of prosocial behaviors often resulting from adopted values rather than inherent interest, the scale intentionally omits an intrinsic motivation subscale.

Keywords

Prosocial behavior, Self-Regulation Questionnaire, SRQ-P, Self-Determination Theory, motivation, internalization, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, children’s psychology, assessment.

Authors

Richard M. Ryan, James P. Connell.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the SRQ-P is to determine the motivational orientation—the reasons—behind a child’s engagement in various prosocial behaviors. By mapping these reasons onto the continuum of self-determination, researchers can understand whether a child’s helpful actions stem from pressures outside the self, internal obligation, or personal value.

This assessment is crucial for developmental psychology and educational settings, as it helps identify the degree to which children have successfully achieved internalization of social values, moving from purely controlled forms of motivation toward more autonomous ones regarding their social conduct.

Construct

The SRQ-P measures the construct of self-regulation, specifically focusing on the types of extrinsic motivation defined within Self-Determination Theory. Since prosocial behaviors often involve adopting societal or interpersonal rules (requiring internalization) rather than being inherently enjoyable, the scale excludes the intrinsic motivation subscale common in other versions of the Self-Regulation Questionnaires.

The scale uses items designed to differentiate among three degrees of regulatory style:

• External Regulation: Behavior driven solely by external contingencies, such as avoiding punishment or seeking tangible rewards or social approval.
• Introjected Regulation: Behavior driven by internal pressures, such as avoiding feelings of shame or guilt, or striving to maintain a fragile sense of self-worth.
• Identified Regulation: Behavior driven by the conscious valuing of the goal or action, where the behavior is personally important and accepted as one’s own, reflecting true commitment to the value of prosocial behaviors.

Validity

The conceptual validity of the SRQ-P is rooted in the extensive theoretical framework of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which posits a continuum of motivational quality. The original validation work by Ryan and Connell (1989) demonstrated that the distinct regulatory styles (external, introjected, and identified) load onto separate factors and predict differential outcomes in behavioral domains, supporting the scale’s construct validity.

The SRQ-P is considered a measure of perceived locus of causality (PLOC) in the domain of social behavior, meaning it reliably assesses where children perceive the initiation and maintenance of their actions to reside—either controlled externally, controlled internally (introjected), or volitional (identified).

Reliability

As part of the established family of Self-Regulation Questionnaires, the SRQ-P is expected to demonstrate robust psychometric properties, including acceptable internal consistency (reliability). The consistency in the scoring format and item structure across the SRQ-P items ensures measurement stability for assessing the varying degrees of motivational internalization in youth populations.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the SRQ-P aims to confirm the theoretical structure derived from SDT, specifically confirming the statistical distinctiveness of the three primary regulatory styles: external regulation, introjected regulation, and identified regulation. This structure reflects the differential degrees to which children have assimilated the motivation for prosocial conduct, confirming the scale’s alignment with the theoretical model of controlled versus autonomous motivation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire (Psychological Scale)

Format: 4-point Likert Scale. The scoring is weighted such that a higher score indicates a higher level of endorsement for that regulatory style: Very True is scored 4; Sort of True is scored 3; Not Very True is scored 2; and Not at All True is scored 1.

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: Children and Adolescents

Age Group: Late elementary school and middle school.

Population Details: Designed for assessing developmental stages of moral and social motivational regulation in youth.

Test Methodology: Respondents are presented with scenarios related to prosocial actions and are asked to rate how true various reasons are for their behavior.

Keywords

Child development, motivation assessment, social psychology, self-determination, Ryan and Connell, regulatory styles, SRQ-P scoring, psychometric instrument, extrinsic motivation.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Refer to the official Self-Determination Theory website for correspondence related to Richard M. Ryan and James P. Connell: http://selfdeterminationtheory.org

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The foundational framework for the SRQ series, including the SRQ-P, was established in 1989. For current licensing, fees, and official permissions regarding use in academic or applied settings, users must consult the official source for the Self-Regulation Questionnaires, typically managed by the researchers associated with Self-Determination Theory.

Test Year: 1989 (Foundational Validation)

Reference’s

Ryan, R.M., & Connell, J.P. (1989). Perceived locus of causality and internalization: Examining reasons for acting in two domains. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 749-761.

The official website for Self-Determination Theory is http://selfdeterminationtheory.org

Items of the Prosocial Self-Regulation Questionnaire SRQ-P

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.