Appendix: Constructing the Character Index
Elizabeth M. Bounds; Robert J. Ridder; Karen K. Melton; and Sarah A. Schnitker
The Character Index is a tool that gives people a concise path toward self-reflection without excessive questions or calculations. Although not a validated measurement tool, it uses various items borrowed from psychometrically validated scales. The items were chosen based on the rigorous selection process detailed below.
Analytic Approach
To select single items from validated virtue measures, several criteria were considered. First, out of two timepoints available to our research team at the time of the Character Index development, we analyzed psychometric properties of our second timepoint data. We opted for our second timepoint because, in theory, after more time and participation in center programming, students should improve in the measured constructs (i.e., from an item response theory perspective, greater “ability/theta”). We want to select single items that capture the greatest ability in these virtue measures, so we selected the timepoint where students should, in theory, be at their highest level thus far.
Second, no reverse-scored items were selected. This decision was made for several reasons: (a) consistency of assessment response range for participants, (b) ease of scoring for practitioners, and (c) reverse-scored items can sometimes present measurement artifacts (i.e., load better on a negative worded measurement factor in a confirmatory factor analysis). Third, because our data can be viewed as ordinal or continuous (Rhemtulla et al., 2012), we conducted both confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) and item response theory (IRT) models for polytomous items: graded response models (Ostini et al., 2014). We selected items with the highest factor loadings and discrimination parameter estimates. Thresholds and information were also considered from graded response models. Finally, face validity/content validity of items was considered.
Table B.1 provides the items ultimately selected for use in the Character Index.
Table B.1. Single Items Used in the Character Index
| Virtue | Item | Response Range |
| Humility | ||
| Intellectual (Leary et al., 2017) | In the face of conflicting evidence, I am open to changing my opinions. | 1 (Not at all true or characteristic of me) 2 (Slightly true or characteristic of me) 3 (Moderately true or characteristic of me) 4 (Very true or characteristic of me) 5 (Extremely true or characteristic of me) |
| Expressed – Teachability (Owens et al., 2013) | I am willing to learn from others. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) |
| Generosity | ||
| Interpersonal Generosity (Smith & Hill, 2009) | I’m the kind of person who is willing to go the “extra mile” to help take care of my friends, relatives, and acquaintances. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) |
| Gratitude | ||
| Trait Gratitude (McCullough et al., 2004) | I have so much in life to be thankful for. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) |
| Gratitude to God (Watkins) | When I think of what others have done for me in my life it makes me appreciate God even more. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) |
| Indebtedness to God (Nelson et al., 2023) | Everything I have comes from God. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) |
| Patience | 1 (Not like me at all) 2 (Unlike me) 3 (Neutral) 4 (Like me) 5 (Very much like me) | |
| Interpersonal Patience (Schnitker, 2012) | I am patient with other people. | |
| Life Hardships Patience (Schnitker, 2012) | I am patient during life hardships. | |
| Daily Hassles Patience (Schnitker, 2012) | Although they’re annoying, I don’t get too upset when stuck in a traffic jam. | |
| Self-Control | ||
| Global Self-Control (Tangney et al., 2004) | I am good at resisting temptation. | 1 (Not like me at all ) 2 (Unlike me) 3 (Neutral) 4 (Like me) 5 (Very much like me) |
| Courage | ||
| Trait Courage (Howard & Alipour, 2014) | Even if something scares me, I will not back down. | 1 (Never) 2 (Almost never) 3 (Occasionally) 4 (Sometimes) 5 (Often) 6 (Almost always) 7 (Always) |
| Meaning/Purpose in Life | 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) | |
| Meaning in Life (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | My life as a whole has meaning. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) |
| Coherence (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | I can make sense of the things that happen in my life. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) |
| Purpose (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | I have a good sense of what I am trying to accomplish in life. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) |
| Mattering (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | Even considering how big the universe is, I can say that my life matters. | 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) |
| Beyond-the-Self Orientation
(Bronk et al., 2018) |
How often do you find yourself hoping that you will make a meaningful contribution to the broader world? | 1 (Almost never) 2 (Once in a while) 3 (Sometimes) 4 (Frequently) 5 (Almost all the time) |
Note. The item from Bronk et al.’s (2018) scale was adapted to form a statement rather than a question. The original wording of the item is as follows: “How often do you find yourself hoping that you will make a meaningful contribution to the broader world?”
Psychometrics
Table B.2 provides reliability statistics for all scales from which Character Index items were derived. Tables B.3-B.13 show descriptive statistics and psychometric properties of the individual items from each scale.
Table B2. Reliability for Center Student Population at Time 2
| Virtue | Alpha | Omega |
| Humility | ||
| Intellectual (Leary et al., 2017) | .854 | .852 |
| Expressed Teachability (Owens et al., 2013) | .802 | .803 |
| Generosity | ||
| Interpersonal Generosity (Smith & Hill, 2009) | .891 | .892 |
| Gratitude | ||
| Trait Gratitude (McCullough et al., 2004) | .764 | .755 |
| Gratitude to God (Watkins) | .817 | .825 |
| Transcendent Indebtedness to God (Nelson et al., 2023) | .895 | .894 |
| Patience | ||
| Global Patience (Schnitker, 2012) | .813 | .804 |
| Interpersonal Patience (Schnitker, 2012) | .726 | .738 |
| Life Hardships Patience (Schnitker, 2012) | .748 | .753 |
| Daily Hassles Patience (Schnitker, 2012) | .739 | .739 |
| Self-Control | ||
| Global Self-Control (Tangney et al., 2004) | .826 | .821 |
| Courage | ||
| Trait Courage (Howard & Alipour, 2014) | .890 | .891 |
| Meaning/Purpose in Life | ||
| Meaning in Life (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | .865 | .863 |
| Coherence (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | .714 | .707 |
| Purpose (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | .793 | .792 |
| Mattering (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) | .794 | .802 |
| Beyond-the-Self Orientation (Bronk et al., 2018) | .797 | .804 |
Table B3. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Intellectual Humility
| Intellectual Humility (Leary et al., 2017) – Time 2 | |||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD | |
| IH_T2 | |||||||
| IH_1_T2 | I question my own opinions, positions, and viewpoints because they could be wrong. | .825 | 0.685 | 1.938 | 3.43 | 1.07 | |
| IH_2_T2 | I reconsider my opinions when presented with new evidence. | .815 | 0.772 | 2.668 | 3.69 | .91 | |
| IH_3_T2 | I recognize the value in opinions that are different from my own. | .839 | 0.591 | 1.523 | 3.92 | .86 | |
| IH_4_T2 | I accept that my beliefs and attitudes may be wrong. | .824 | 0.687 | 1.970 | 3.47 | 1.02 | |
| IH_5_T2 | In the face of conflicting evidence, I am open to changing my opinions. | .813 | 0.785 | 2.816 | 3.64 | .91 | |
| IH_6_T2 | I like finding out new information that differs from what I already think is true. | .829 | 0.666 | 1.823 | 3.47 | 1.09 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B4. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Expressed Humility – Teachability
| Expressed Humility – Teachability (Owens et al., 2013) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| EH_TEACH_T2 | ||||||
| teach_1_T2 | I am willing to learn from others. | .677 | 0.811 | 3.696 | 4.55 | .67 |
| teach_2_T2 | I am open to the ideas of others. | .720 | 0.740 | 2.593 | 4.37 | .71 |
| teach_3_T2 | I am open to the advice of others. | .750 | 0.700 | 2.119 | 4.33 | .78 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B5. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Interpersonal Generosity
| Interpersonal Generosity (Smith & Hill, 2009) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| IG_T2 | ||||||
| IG_1_T2 | When one of my loved ones needs my attention, I really try to slow down and give them the time and help they need. | .870 | 0.714 | 2.167 | 4.91 | .90 |
| IG_2_T2 | I am known by family and friends as someone who makes time to pay attention to others’ problems. | .868 | 0.726 | 2.156 | 4.61 | 1.10 |
| IG_3_T2 | I’m the kind of person who is willing to go the “extra mile” to help take care of my friends, relatives, and acquaintances. | .866 | 0.751 | 2.387 | 4.77 | .99 |
| IG_4_T2 | When friends or family members experience something upsetting or discouraging I make a special point of being kind to them. | .873 | 0.655 | 1.856 | 5.01 | .91 |
| IG_5_T2 | When it comes to my personal relationships with others, I am a very generous person. | .871 | 0.685 | 1.909 | 4.64 | .99 |
| IG_6_T2 | It makes me very happy to give to other people in ways that meet their needs. | .873 | 0.651 | 1.841 | 5.14 | .87 |
| IG_7_T2 | It is just as important to me that other people around me are happy and thriving as it is that I am happy and thriving. | .875 | 0.620 | 1.676 | 4.92 | 1.01 |
| IG_8_T2 | My decisions are often based on concern for the welfare of others. | .870 | 0.680 | 1.865 | 4.56 | 1.06 |
| IG_9_T2 | I am usually willing to risk my own feelings being hurt in the process if I stand a chance of helping someone else in need. | .880 | 0.570 | 1.356 | 4.46 | 1.14 |
| IG_10_T2 | I make it a point to let my friends and family know how much I love and appreciate them. | .878 | 0.587 | 1.451 | 4.65 | 1.13 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B6. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Gratitude
| Gratitude (McCullough et al., 2004) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| GRAT_T2 | ||||||
| GQ_1_T2 | I have so much in life to be thankful for. | .760 | 0.850 | 4.177 | 6.32 | 1.00 |
| GQ_2_T2 | If I had to list everything that I felt grateful for, it would be a very long list. | .753 | 0.842 | 3.474 | 6.11 | 1.19 |
| GQ_3R _T2 | When I look at the world, I don’t see much to be grateful for. (Reverse-scored) | .780 | 0.537 | 1.918 | 5.98 | 1.35 |
| GQ_4_T2 | I am grateful to a wide variety of people. | .769 | 0.765 | 2.552 | 6.10 | 1.09 |
| GQ_5_T2 | As I get older I find myself more able to appreciate the people, events, and situations that have been part of my life history. | .778 | 0.711 | 2.105 | 6.11 | 1.12 |
| GQ_6R _T2 | Long amounts of time can go by before I feel grateful to something or someone. (Reverse-scored) | .845 | 0.369 | 1.021 | 4.95 | 1.75 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B7. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Gratitude to God
| Gratitude to God (Watkins) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| GTG_T2 | ||||||
| GTG_1_T2 | Simple pleasures like a beautiful view or a delicious meal often remind me of how good God has been to me. | .836 | .750 | 2.376 | 4.24 | 1.01 |
| GTG_2_T2 | When I think of how good others have been to me, it makes me feel very thankful to God. | .825 | .870 | 4.026 | 4.30 | 1.00 |
| GTG_3R _T2 | Because my life has been so bad, I have very little to thank God for. (Reverse-scored) | .904 | .323 | 0.920 | 4.41 | 1.01 |
| GTG_4_T2 | When I see the beauty of new life in the spring, I feel very thankful toward God. | .836 | .748 | 2.415 | 4.24 | .99 |
| GTG_5_T2 | When I think of what others have done for me in my life it makes me appreciate God even more. | .823 | .886 | 4.353 | 4.29 | .98 |
| GTG_6_T2 | I feel very grateful to God when I think of my family. | .835 | .775 | 2.610 | 4.36 | .98 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B8. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Transcendent Indebtedness to God
| Transcendent Indebtedness to God (Nelson et al., 2023) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| ITG_T1 | ||||||
| ITG_1_T2 | Even though I can never repay God, I try to repay Him by the kind of life that I live. | .916 | 0.710 | 2.182 | 4.10 | 1.04 |
| ITG_2_T2 | Everything I have comes from God. | .897 | 0.902 | 5.532 | 4.34 | 1.10 |
| ITG_3_T2 | I owe God for my life. | .902 | 0.863 | 4.046 | 4.37 | 1.05 |
| ITG_4_T2 | When I think of what God has done for me I want to give back. | .907 | 0.787 | 2.736 | 4.19 | 1.03 |
| ITG_5_T2 | I depend on God for all I have. | .904 | 0.847 | 3.621 | 3.95 | 1.21 |
| ITG_6_T2 | Understanding my indebtedness helps me feel God’s love for me. | .911 | 0.763 | 2.584 | 3.97 | 1.19 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B9. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Patience
| 3-Factor Patience Scale (Schnitker, 2012) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| PAT_T2 | ||||||
| IPP_T2 | Interpersonal Patience | |||||
| PAT_1_T2 | My friends would say I’m a very patient friend | .682 | 0.700 | 2.005 | 3.56 | .98 |
| PAT_4_T2 | I am patient with other people. | .657 | 0.802 | 3.348 | 3.72 | .86 |
| PAT_7R _T2 | I have trouble being patient with my close friends and family. (Reversed-scored) | .785 | 0.364 | 0.829 | 3.27 | 1.13 |
| PAT_9_T2 | When someone is having difficulty learning something new, I will be able to help them without getting frustrated or annoyed. | .735 | 0.503 | 1.234 | 3.78 | .92 |
| PAT_11_T2 | I find it easy to be patient with people. | .653 | 0.781 | 2.737 | 3.42 | .98 |
| LHP_T2 | Life Hardship Patience | |||||
| PAT_2_T2 | I am able to wait-out tough times. | .680 | 0.693 | 2.185 | 3.58 | .88 |
| PAT_5_T2 | I find it pretty easy to be patient with a difficult life problem or illness. | .715 | 0.676 | 1.771 | 3.17 | 1.04 |
| PAT_8_T2 | I am patient during life hardships. | .616 | 0.779 | 2.919 | 3.41 | .94 |
| DHP_T2 | Daily Hassles Patience | |||||
| PAT_3_T2 | Although they’re annoying, I don’t get too upset when stuck in a traffic jam. | .537 | 0.749 | 2.836 | 3.47 | 1.12 |
| PAT_6 _T2 | In general waiting in lines does not bother me. | .656 | 0.673 | 1.648 | 3.42 | 1.08 |
| PAT_10R _T2 | I get very annoyed at red lights. (Reverse-scored) | .661 | 0.601 | 1.645 | 3.67 | 1.11 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B10. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Self-Control
| Global Self-Control (Tangney et al., 2004) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| SC _T2 | Global self-control | |||||
| SC_1_T2 | I am good at resisting temptation. | .823 | 0.671 | 1.516 | 3.14 | .99 |
| SC_2R _T2 | I have a hard time breaking bad habits. (Reverse-scored) | .822 | 0.621 | 1.587 | 2.63 | 1.07 |
| SC_3R _T2 | I do certain things that are bad for me, if they are fun. (Reverse-scored) | .821 | 0.649 | 1.448 | 3.05 | 1.16 |
| SC_4_T2 | I refuse things that are bad for me. | .833 | 0.509 | 0.921 | 3.48 | .97 |
| SC_5R _T2 | Sometimes I can’t stop myself from doing something, even if I know it is wrong. (Reverse-scored) | .821 | 0.639 | 1.493 | 3.14 | 1.18 |
| SC_6R _T2 | Pleasure and fun sometimes keep me from getting work done. (Reverse-scored) | .822 | 0.584 | 1.463 | 2.54 | 1.11 |
| SC_7R _T2 | I am lazy. (Reverse-scored) | .823 | 0.401 | 1.381 | 3.30 | 1.15 |
| SC_8R _T2 | I have trouble concentrating. (Reverse-scored) | .827 | 0.270 | 1.179 | 2.73 | 1.18 |
| SC_9_T2 | I am able to work effectively toward long-term goals. | .832 | 0.489 | 0.973 | 3.84 | .90 |
| SC_10R _T2 | I often act without thinking through all the alternatives. (Reverse-scored) | .831 | 0.526 | 0.992 | 3.59 | 1.11 |
| SC_11R _T2 | I say inappropriate things. (Reverse-scored) | .834 | 0.413 | 0.892 | 3.46 | 1.23 |
| SC_12R _T2 | I wish I had more self-discipline. (Reverse-scored) | .824 | 0.604 | 1.462 | 2.27 | 1.14 |
| SC_13_T2 | People would say that I have iron self-discipline. | .824 | 0.556 | 1.333 | 3.06 | 1.12 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B11. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Courage
| Courage (Howard & Alipour, 2014) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| CM_T2 | ||||||
| CM_1_T2 | I tend to face my fears. | .843 | 0.814 | 2.903 | 4.44 | 1.24 |
| CM_2_T2 | Even if I feel terrified, I will stay in the situation until I have done what I need to do. | .851 | 0.737 | 2.203 | 4.46 | 1.33 |
| CM_3_T2 | I will do things even though they seem to be dangerous. | .879 | 0.598 | 1.431 | 3.68 | 1.48 |
| CM_4_T2 | If I am worried or anxious about something, I will do or face it anyway. | .850 | 0.769 | 2.490 | 4.59 | 1.19 |
| CM_5_T2 | If there is an important reason to face something that scares me, I will face it. | .861 | 0.690 | 1.904 | 5.28 | 1.19 |
| CM_6_T2 | Even if something scares me, I will not back down. | .840 | 0.830 | 3.136 | 4.38 | 1.26 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B12. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Meaning in Life
| The Multidimensional Meaning in Life Scale (Costin & Vignoles, 2020) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| MIL_T2 | Meaning in Life Judgments | |||||
| MMIL_1_T2 | My life as a whole has meaning. | .824 | 0.776 | 3.087 | 5.92 | 1.21 |
| MMIL_2_T2 | My entire existence is full of meaning. | .851 | 0.726 | 2.347 | 5.49 | 1.39 |
| MMIL_3R _T2 | My life is meaningless. (Reverse-scored) | .815 | 0.834 | 3.867 | 6.12 | 1.28 |
| MMIL_4R _T2 | My existence is empty of meaning. (Reverse-scored) | .816 | 0.827 | 3.829 | 6.07 | 1.33 |
| COH _T2 | Coherence | |||||
| MMIL_5_T2 | I can make sense of the things that happen in my life. | .675 | 0.587 | 1.973 | 5.06 | 1.24 |
| MMIL_6_T2 | Looking at my life as a whole, things seem clear to me. | .688 | 0.575 | 1.473 | 4.47 | 1.49 |
| MMIL_7R _T2 | I can’t make sense of events in my life. (Reverse-scored) | .635 | 0.672 | 2.073 | 5.02 | 1.51 |
| MMIL_8R _T2 | My life feels like a sequence of unconnected events. (Reverse-scored) | .678 | 0.687 | 1.495 | 5.33 | 1.46 |
| PURP _T2 | Purpose | |||||
| MMIL_9_T2 | I have a good sense of what I am trying to accomplish in life. | .732 | 0.747 | 2.645 | 5.15 | 1.36 |
| MMIL_10_T2 | I have certain life goals that compel me to keep going. | .762 | 0.686 | 2.135 | 5.78 | 1.15 |
| MMIL_11R _T2 | I don’t know what I am trying to accomplish in life. (Reverse-scored) | .749 | 0.745 | 2.310 | 4.87 | 1.67 |
| MMIL_12R _T2 | I don’t have compelling life goals that keep me going. (Reverse-scored) | .767 | 0.690 | 2.074 | 5.70 | 1.42 |
| MAT _T2 | Mattering | |||||
| MMIL_13_T2 | Whether my life ever existed matters even in the grand scheme of the universe. | .835 | 0.503 | 1.474 | 4.76 | 1.73 |
| MMIL_14_T2 | Even considering how big the universe is, I can say that my life matters. | .752 | 0.763 | 2.562 | 5.64 | 1.37 |
| MMIL_15R _T2 | My existence is not significant in the grand scheme of things. (Reverse-scored) | .727 | 0.800 | 3.167 | 5.23 | 1.74 |
| MMIL_16R _T2 | Given the vastness of the universe, my life does not matter. (Reverse-scored) | .725 | 0.838 | 4.014 | 5.59 | 1.61 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
Table B13. Factor Loadings and Discrimination Values for Beyond-the Self Orientation
| Beyond-the-Self Orientation (Bronk et al., 2018) – Time 2 | ||||||
| Variable Name | Item | α if item deleted | Factor Loading | a | M | SD |
| CP_T2 | ||||||
| CP1_T2 | How often do you hope to leave the world better than you found it? | .783 | 0.767 | 2.517 | 3.89 | .99 |
| CP2_T2 | How often do you find yourself hoping that you will make a meaningful contribution to the broader world? | .765 | 0.821 | 3.204 | 3.97 | .99 |
| CP3_T2 | How important is it for you to make the world a better place in some way? | .774 | 0.782 | 2.841 | 4.13 | .89 |
| CP4_T2 | How often do you hope that the work that you do positively influences others? | .832 | 0.618 | 1.669 | 4.28 | .81 |
Note. a = item discrimination in a graded response IRT model. Item bolded is the item that best captures the construct of interest.
references
Ostini, R., Finkelman, M., & Nering, M. (2014). Selecting Among Polytomous IRT Models. In S. P. Reise & D. A. Revicki (Eds.), Handbook of Item Response Theory Modeling: Applications to Typical Performance Assessment. Taylor & Francis Group.
Rhemtulla, M., Brosseau-Liard, P. É., & Savalei, V. (2012). When can categorical variables be treated as continuous? A comparison of robust continuous and categorical SEM estimation methods under suboptimal conditions. Psychological Methods, 17(3), 354–373. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029315
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