A natural language screening measure for motivation to change
Abstract
Client motivation for change, a topic of high interest to addiction clinicians, is multidimensional and complex, and many different approaches to measurement have been tried. The current effort drew on psycholinguistic research on natural language that is used by clients to describe their own motivation. Seven addiction treatment sites participated in the development of a simple scale to measure client motivation. Twelve items were drafted to represent six potential dimensions of motivation for change that occur in natural discourse. The maximum self-rating of motivation (10 on a 0-10 scale) was the median score on all items, and 43% of respondents rated 10 on all 12 items - a substantial ceiling effect. From 1035 responses, three factors emerged representing importance, ability, and commitment - constructs that are also reflected in several theoretical models of motivation. A 3-item version of the scale, with one marker item for each of these constructs, accounted for 81% of variance in the full scale. The three items are: 1. It is important for me to . . . 2. I could . . . and 3. I am trying to . . . This offers a quick (1-minute) assessment of clients' self-reported motivation for change.
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The Change Questionnaire has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
“The CQ has good internal consistency and test-retest reliability (Miller & Johnson, 2008).”
From Comparing the predictive capacity of observed in-session resistance to self-reported motivation in cognitive behavioral therapy (2011) · cites this paper as Miller & Johnson, 2008
The CQ can be adapted to a 3-item version suitable for clinical practice.
“The CQ can even be adapted to a 3-item version amenable for administration in clinical practice (Miller & Johnson, 2008).”
From Comparing the predictive capacity of observed in-session resistance to self-reported motivation in cognitive behavioral therapy (2011) · cites this paper as Miller & Johnson, 2008
A highly face-valid direct self-report questionnaire can perform as well as, and possibly better than, indirect or complex self-report measures of motivation.
“a highly face-valid direct self-report questionnaire can fare as well and possibly better than indirect or complex self-report measures of motivation (Miller & Johnson, 2008).”
From Comparing the predictive capacity of observed in-session resistance to self-reported motivation in cognitive behavioral therapy (2011) · cites this paper as Miller & Johnson, 2008
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- Authors
- Miller, W. R., & Johnson, W. R.
- Affiliations
- University of New Mexico (US)
- Corresponding author
- Miller, William R.
- ORCID
- Miller, William R.
- Venue
- Addictive Behaviors
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-09
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1177-1182
- ISSN
- 0306-4603 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1982078569
- Cited by
- 109
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 7 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 3.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Addictive Behaviors (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- Keywords
- motivation for change, addiction treatment, self-report scale development, natural language, psycholinguistics, ceiling effect
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Child, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Psycholinguistics, Psychometrics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Research Design, Substance-Related Disorders, Young Adult
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