Article

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of measures of
advocacy activity and perceived control specific to those affected by acquired
brain injury (ABI). METHOD: Questionnaires, including initial forms of the
Advocacy Activities Scale (AAS) and Perceived Control Scale for brain injury
(PCS-BI), Craig Hospital Inventory of Environmental Factors, Satisfaction with
Life Scale and SF-12, were mailed through the State Brain Injury Associations in
three states in the Upper Midwestern U.S. Through multiple mailings, 322 (21.4%)
complete response sets of 1550 possible were obtained; 196 from individuals with
ABI, 99 from significant others (SOs), and 27 with no indication of whether the
respondent was a person with BI or SO. The AAS and PCS-BI were analyzed and
refined using a two parameter item response theory model. Concurrent validity was
examined through simple correlations and principal components analyses of all
measures. RESULTS: After modification based on IRT analyses, the AAS showed
satisfactory internal consistency (Person reliability = 0.77; item reliability =
0.97) as did the PCS-BI (Person reliability = 0.78; item reliability = 0.99).
Although more complex than the predicted, relationships with other measures
supported the concurrent validity of the AAS and PCS-BI. CONCLUSIONS: The AAS and
PCS-BI are reliable and valid measures of advocacy activity and an associated
sense of perceived control among those affected by ABI for use in survey research
and assessing the effectiveness of interventions to increase advocacy activity.

Langue : ANGLAIS