Identification of core variables to be considered in an assessment of vocational earning capacity in a legal-forensic setting: A Delphi study

The goal of this study was to assess a potential set of items considered core to the assessment of vocational earning capacity in a legal-forensic setting. Despite numerous published methods and protocols addressing assessment of vocational earning capacity, there is considerable variability among vocational consultant conclusions and opinions. A high level of variability in opinion and methodology is problematic within legal-forensic settings.;A three-round Delphi expert consensus building methodology was utilized in this study. The expert panel size from round one to round three was 47 and 38 respectively, yielding a response rate over all three rounds of expert input of 81%. This study resulted in identification of 232 discrete variables viewed by vocational consultants as core to the assessment of vocational earning capacity in a legal-forensic setting. Variables were distributed across 29 distinct domains. The findings of this study provide empirical support for a proposed set of core variables to be used to assess vocational earning capacity. Implications of study findings and recommendations for future research are included. (Full text of this dissertation may be available via the University of Florida Libraries web site. Please check http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/etd.html).