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The independence to decide and act as the causal agent in one's life are unchanging demands by empowerment movements focused on people with disabilities and by people with disabilities themselves. International efforts have been devoted to defining the concept of self-determination, analyzing its importance and relationship with the quality of life of people with disabilities and creating evaluation and promotion materials based on empirical evidences. The aim of this study is to present the process for developing and validating a new self-determination evaluation instrument for young people with intellectual disabilities: the ARC-INICO Scale. The sample for validating the Scale comprised 279 young people with intellectual disabilities, limited intellectual capacities and learning difficulties. The participants were aged between 11 and 19 years (M=15.59, SD=1.89). The results indicate that both the Scale and the four sections into which it is divided were reliable. The confirmatory factor analysis shows proof of validity based on the internal structure of the Scale, and confirms the correct fit of the proposed hierarchical structure. Practical implications and future directions of research are also discussed.

AbstractDevelopmental theories suggest age-related changes in the structure of affect. Paradoxically, the internal structure of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) has not been tested in Spanish older adults by means of confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) despite it is the most widely used measure of emotional well-being in later life. The aim of this study was to examine competing models of the internal structure of the Spanish version of the PANAS, its measurement invariance, reliability, and external validity. Participants were a representative sample of 585 community-dwelling people aged 60 and over, who also completed depression, loneliness and life satisfaction measures. Results showed that the orthogonal two-factor model with correlated errors (RMSEA = .057, 90% CI [.051, .063], SRMR = .084, CFI = .97, NNFI = .97) was the best fitting solution. Measurement invariance analyses confirmed that the two-independent factor structure can be used across young-old and very old people, as well as in both males and females. It showed good reliability (PA: a = .93, NA: a = .83), criterion, convergent and discriminant validity (p< .01). Our discussion highlights the role of age and culture in the experience and expression of emotions.