Objectives:
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.
Methods: 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 ۱۵ experts, and its face validity was evaluated among ۱۰ parents of the adolescents. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted on ۱۲۵ parents of adolescents (aged ۱۴-۱۸ 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 ۱۷ parents, respectively. The obtained data were analyzed by SPSS V. ۱۸.
Results: The items were modified at the face validity stage and approved at the content validity stage. Five factors by explaining ۵۴.۱۴% of the variance and deleting four items were confirmed at the construct validity stage using exploratory factor analysis. A Cronbach’s alpha of ۰.۹۳ was obtained for the total scale and ۰.۷۹ to ۰.۸۵ for the five subscales of the SDPPS. The intra-class correlation coefficient with ۹۵% CI (۰.۸۲-۰.۹۸) was ۰.۸۳ indicating good reliability of the questionnaire.
Discussion: 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.