Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Self-determination Parent Perception Scale

Self-determination is a significant skill in the proper transition from adolescence to adulthood. Parents play an important role in assessing the self-determination of their children. Currently, there is no valid instrument in Iran to assess parents’ views about the self-determination of their adolescents. The present study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Self-determination Parent Perception Scale (SDPPS) in an Iranian population.

In this descriptive psychometric study, the original version of SDPPS was translated using the forward-backward method. The content validity index and content validity ratio of the questionnaire were confirmed by a panel of 15 experts, and its face validity was evaluated among 10 parents of the adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on 125 parents of adolescents (aged 14-18 years) who were selected by convenience sampling with maximum variation. Its reliability and internal consistency were also assessed using test-retest and in a group of 17 parents, respectively. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS V. 18.

The items were modified at the face validity stage and approved at the content validity stage. Five factors by explaining 54.14% of the variance and deleting four items were confirmed at the construct validity stage using exploratory factor analysis. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.93 was obtained for the total scale and 0.79 to 0.85 for the five subscales of the SDPPS. The intra-class correlation coefficient with 95% CI (0.82-0.98) was 0.83 indicating good reliability of the questionnaire.

The Persian version of SDPPS showed acceptable validity and reliability in explaining the self-determination of adolescents with and without disabilities based on the parents’ perspectives and can be applied by professionals in rehabilitation centers and those studying on human behavior.