Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Task characteristics can alter motivation. Understanding how individuals respond to these characteristics is important in understanding how to adapt tasks to increase engagement of individuals with mental health problems. We describe the development of a self-report questionnaire quantifying individual differences in task-related motivation-The Child and Adolescent Motivational Profile (CHAMP). We explore the association with externalizing/internalizing problems. METHODS: A 64-item prototype scale was designed to measure how children and adolescents perceive the motivational significance of a range of task characteristics (n = 688; age range: 8-16 years). Parents completed the "Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire" measuring externalizing and internalizing problems (Van Widenfelt, Goedhart, Treffers & Goodman, 2003). RESULTS: Exploratory factor analysis identified eight distinct task characteristics that affected motivation: (a) requiring focus, (b) predictable, (c) marked/graded, (d) rewarded, (e) socially evaluated, (f) cognitively challenging, (g) competitive, and (h) collaborative. A 32-item scale based on these factors was constructed. Internal consistency of each factor was high (Cronbach's alpha: .79-.91), and test-retest reliability was acceptable (SBC = .43-.65). Externalizing and internalizing problems were associated with a distinct motivational profile. CONCLUSION: These results highlight the multidimensional nature of children and adolescents' task-related motivation for tasks and the differential links to internalizing and externalizing problems.