How do capacity and competence differ?

How do capacity and competence differ?

• A. Capacity is a legal determination by the court.
• B. Capacity is a global trait; competence is context-specific.
• C. Capacity is a functional, context-specific ability; competence is a legal determination typically made by the court.
• D. Capacity and competence are interchangeable terms.

Answer: (C)

Capacity is a functional, context-specific ability to understand information relevant to a decision, appreciate potential consequences, and communicate a choice. It can vary by domain—such as medical treatment, financial decisions, or signing a contract—and can change over time with health, medications, or circumstances. Competence is a legal determination, usually made by a court, about whether a person has the capacity to make decisions in a particular legal context. Because capacity is about the individual’s abilities in a specific situation, someone can have capacity in one area (for example, consent to medical treatment) but lack capacity in another (like managing complex finances). A court may decide someone is not competent for certain matters and appoint a guardian or otherwise limit decision-making, which is a legal status separate from clinical judgments of capacity.

Capacity is a functional, context-specific ability to understand information relevant to a decision, appreciate potential consequences, and communicate a choice. It can vary by domain—such as medical treatment, financial decisions, or signing a contract—and can change over time with health, medications, or circumstances.

Competence is a legal determination, usually made by a court, about whether a person has the capacity to make decisions in a particular legal context. Because capacity is about the individual’s abilities in a specific situation, someone can have capacity in one area (for example, consent to medical treatment) but lack capacity in another (like managing complex finances). A court may decide someone is not competent for certain matters and appoint a guardian or otherwise limit decision-making, which is a legal status separate from clinical judgments of capacity.