Personal aspirations and concerns inventory for offenders: Developments in the measurement of offenders' motivation

Abstract

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.

Enhancing treatment engagement in sexual offenders: A pilot study to explore the utility of the Personal Aspirations and Concerns Inventory for Offenders (PACI‐O)

“…Analysis of the psychometric properties of the PACI‐O and its immediate precursor, the PCI‐OA, confirmed that a similar two factor structure existed in offender samples, but that indices from the original PCI (i.e. excluding the prison/offending specific indices) produced factors with more robust psychometric properties (Campbell et al, ; McMurran et al, ; Sellen et al, , ). The predictive validity of the PCI‐OA has also been established, whereby improvements in adaptive motivation over the course of a treatment programme have been observed (Sellen et al, ).…”

“…One of the most theoretically rigorous instruments currently available to assess and enhance motivation in offenders is the Personal Aspirations and Concerns Inventory for Offenders (PACI‐O; Campbell et al, ). This is a relatively short, semi‐structured interview derived originally from the Personal Concerns Inventory (PCI; Cox and Klinger, ), and the Personal Concerns Inventory – Offender Adaptation (PCI‐OA; Sellen et al, ; Sellen et al, ).…”

“…The predictive validity of the PCI‐OA has also been established, whereby improvements in adaptive motivation over the course of a treatment programme have been observed (Sellen et al, ). Campbell et al () suggested that the PACI‐O may offer a useful baseline assessment of motivational structure and hypothesise that an adaptive motivational structure may be associated with higher likelihood of treatment engagement. Assessment using the PACI‐O could thus be useful in identifying those most ready to engage in programmes and perhaps in providing additional pre‐treatment support to those with maladaptive motivational structures.…”

“…Evidence suggests that the PACI‐O may encourage interest and entry into treatment (Theodosi and McMurran, ) and thus probably motivation. Campbell et al () suggested that it may do so through four mechanisms: (1) the offender may thus make a cost–benefit analysis of offending compared with life goals; (2) she or he may identify personal barriers to goal achievement; (3) conflict between goals identified; or (4) the individualised approach provides an opportunity for that person to consider where she or he is in life and what she or he wants to achieve. There is also some evidence that the PCI‐OA may motivate a difficult‐to‐engage group of offenders to enter treatment.…”

Motivating young people in prison to improve behaviour

“…Although the PACIO has been developed as an assessment of motivation for engagement and behaviour change, Campbell et al (2010) have suggested it may have utility as a brief motivational intervention. Some of the reasons for this are that:…”