Independence Training Questionnaire

Category	Details
Description	The Independence Training Questionnaire (Chance, 1961) is an adaptation of Winterbottom’s (1958) questionnaire, designed to assess mothers’ age expectations for the achievement of independent behaviors in their children. The instrument consists of 28 items: 20 from Winterbottom’s original scale and 8 additional items created by the investigator. Mothers indicate the approximate age at which they expect their children to perform each behavior (e.g., “To stand up for his own rights with other children” and “To read a simple story or comics by himself”). They also mark the items they consider to be especially important in their child-rearing practices.
Author	Chance, June Elizabeth
Purpose	To assess mothers’ age expectations for the achievement of independent behaviors in their children.
Construct	Independence
Instrument Type	Inventory/Questionnaire
Reliability	No reliability indicated.
Validity	No validity indicated.
Factor Analysis	No factor analysis indicated.
Test Methodology	Paper-based questionnaire where mothers report the expected age for each behavior and mark those they consider particularly important in child-rearing.
Test Items	28 items
Classification	5800 Development and Aging
Population Group	Human; Male; Female
Population Details	Sample: Mothers, United States
Keywords	Independence Training Questionnaire, Test Development, Mothers’ Age Expectations for Achievement of Independence Behaviors
Index Terms	Childhood Development, Independence (Personality), Mother-Child Relations, Parental Attitudes, Questionnaires, Test Construction
Permissions	May use for Research/Teaching

Reference:

Independence Training Questionnaire

1. To stand up for his own rights with other children
2. To know his way around his part of the community so he can play where he wants without getting lost
3. To go outside to play when he wants to be noisy or boisterous
4. To be willing to try new things on his own without depending on his mother for help
5. To be active and energetic in climbing, jumping, and sports
6. To show pride in his own ability to do things well
7. To take part in his parents’ interests and conversations
8. To try hard things for himself without asking for help
9. To be able to eat alone without help in cutting and handling food
10. To be able to lead other children and to be able to assert himself in children’s groups
11. To make his own friends among children of his age
12. To hang up his own clothes and to look after his own possessions
13. To do well in school on his own
14. To be able to undress and to go to bed by himself
15. To have interests and hobbies of his own—be able to entertain himself
16. To earn his own spending money
17. To do some regular tasks around the house
18. To be able to stay at home during the day alone
19. To make for himself decisions like choosing his clothes or how to spend money for toys, hobbies, recreations, etc.
20. To do well in competition with other children—to try hard to come out on top in games and sports
21. To be satisfied to stay with someone he knows well when parents must be away for a few days
22. To decide upon and to purchase small gifts with his own money for family members and close friends
23. To hold short conversations with grown-up friends who come to visit the family
24. To visit and to stay overnight with a playmate
25. To straighten out most of his difficulties with other children without adult intervention
26. To be interested in obtaining good grades in school
27. To take part in group activities such as clubs, scouts, etc.
28. To read a simple story or comics by himself