Positive Behaviour Support - Department of Human Services - Vic ...

Motivation assessment scale 20
Positive behaviour support: Getting it right from the start - Facilitators reference manual 63
The MAS consists of 16 items describing various behaviours which a respondent (family member
or staff) is required to rate on a six-point scale according to how they believe the person would
behave in a variety of different situations. The results are tallied according to four theoretical
categories said to suggest the possible motivation underlying a person’s behaviour. Like any
assessment tool, the MAS should be used regularly to check if your ideas about why the
behaviour is occurring are correct.
Name: Rater:
Date:
Description of behaviour (be specific):
Instructions: The MAS is a questionnaire designed to identify those situations where an
individual is likely to behave in specific ways. From this information, more informed decisions
can be made about the selections of appropriate replacement behaviours. To complete the
MAS, select one target behaviour. Be specific about the behaviour. For example ‘is aggressive’
is not as good a description as ‘hits other people’. Once you have specified the behaviour
to be rated, read each question carefully and circle the one number that best describes your
observations of this behaviour. The column with the highest score indicates the reason why the
behaviour is occurring.
20. Durand and Crimmins 1992.