Personal aspirations and concerns inventory for offenders: developments in the measurement of offenders' motivation.
BACKGROUND
It is important to attend to offenders' motivation for treatment and behaviour change, either as a treatment selection criterion or a pre-treatment need. One measure of motivation that has been used with forensic populations is the Personal Concerns Inventory (PCI) and a PCI-Offender Adaptation (PCI-OA). As well as demonstrating promise in measuring offenders' motivation, the administration of the PCI and PCI-OA shows potential as a motivation enhancer. However, a number of potentially useful changes to the PCI-OA that may maximise its potential have been identified. These are described here.


METHODS
The rationale and process of abridgement and further development of the PCI-OA into the Personal Aspirations and Concerns Inventory for Offenders (PACI-O) are described. Results of a pilot study with 22 prisoners are reported. The pilot study aimed to assess the acceptability of the PACI-O with an offender population.


RESULTS
Findings demonstrated that the interview took less time, although similar concerns were still identified, consistent with the previous PCI-OA.


CONCLUSIONS
Consistency with previous evidence, together with positive feedback, suggests that the PACI-O was acceptable with an offender population. Future research is required to assess the psychometric properties of the PACI-O, and to evaluate its potential as an assessment of offender motivation.
Campbell
Jacqui
J
Department of Psychology, Cardiff School of Health Sciences, University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC), Llandaff Campus, Western Avenue, Cardiff CF52YB, UK.
Sellen
Joselyn L
JL
McMurran
Mary
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014852:Wales; D055815:Young Adult