Fine arts participation, self-determination, and locus of control among persons with developmental disabilities

Abstract

Background: This study examined the degree to which individuals’ sense of self-determination and internal locus of control might be suitable constructs to study in relation to fine arts participation in adults with complex developmental disabilities.

Method: Thirty-four participants in fine arts programs and eight non-participants, all with disabilities involving neuromuscular impairment and varying degrees of cognitive impairment, completed measures of locus of control and of sense of self-determination.

Results: No significant differences on quantitative measures were found among high users, low users or non-users of arts programming. Qualitative results suggest that fine arts participants, relative to non-participants, are more likely to de-emphasize “luck” in favor of effort and ambition in attributions about their circumstances and accomplishments.

Conclusion: While quantitative findings did not suggest a relationship between either self-determination or locus of control and arts participation, the qualitative findings suggest that the constructs might be useful ones to study in relation to arts participation.

Keywords:

• Visual arts
• rehabilitation
• social psychology
• qualitative data analysis
• content analysis

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of Eileen Murray and the staff of the Arts Access Program of the Matheny Medical and Educational Center; the staff of Hattie’s Creative Arts at Hattie Larlham; Jungwon DeVone, Research Assistant; and the study participants for their assistance in this project.