Scale Overview
The Treatment Motivation Questionnaire – TMQ was developed by Richard M. Ryan, Richard W. Plant, & Stephanie O’Malley (1995). It is designed to measure Treatment Motivation. The scale is intended for use with Adults entering clinical treatment.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 26 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Internal Motivation, External Motivation, Help Seeking, Confidence in Treatment.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Internal Motivation |
1,2,4,5,7,8,9,11,15,20,23 |
11 |
| External Motivation |
3,6,10,12 |
4 |
| Help Seeking |
17,18,19,22,25,26 |
6 |
| Confidence in Treatment |
13,14,16,21,24 |
5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Not at all true, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = Somewhat true, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = Very true.
The scale includes 4 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 1 to 7. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low endorsement of the subscale construct: 1 – 3
- Moderate endorsement of the subscale construct: 4 – 5
- High endorsement of the subscale construct: 6 – 7
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Subscale alphas typically range from 0.70 to 0.90.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.