This chapter presents 12 virtue scales , each of which has been rigorously validated by psychology researchers for measuring virtues. These scales are not just tools but reliable instruments for conducting formal assessments in program evaluations or organization monitoring. For each scale discussed, two methods are provided for measuring students’ virtue: Present moment and Post-then-pre.

The first type of worksheet we offer is designed to capture student virtue at the present moment. These are scales commonly used by psychological scientists in research on virtue development (i.e., scales developed via a stringent empirical process to ensure scales are consistent and capture the virtue they are intended to measure). You can use these scales to get a glimpse of your group’s virtue at a single timepoint. Alternatively, you can use the full scale to track change over time by administering it once before your program starts and again after it concludes. The difference between scores (i.e., post-test score minus pre-test score) indicates the direction and magnitude of change.

The second type of worksheet we offer is the retrospective post-then-pre test. This common program evaluation method encourages students to consider how their involvement in your program has impacted their growth. Each retrospective post-then-pre test prompts students to consider their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors regarding virtues after participating in your program as well as before participating. This approach to measurement is most commonly used in program evaluation and is useful for several reasons. First, it’s easier to administer retrospective post-then-pre tests because they can be taken at a single timepoint, rather than repeated assessments (i.e., only one round of data collection). Second, retrospective post-then-pre tests allow students to consider how their understanding of virtue has changed rather than simply assessing changes in the presence of virtue. For more information on the value of retrospective post-then-pre tests, see Chapter 9 – Guide: Program Evaluation.

The remainder of this chapter presents the scales for each virtue. In each subsection, we provide a brief definition of the virtue , information about interpreting scores, and links to the two survey formats described above. On each survey, you will find information on the instructions, statements, and scoring. Pay close attention to the scoring method of each virtue worksheet, as some differ from others (e.g., rated 1 to 5 versus rated 1 to 7). It is essential to keep these worksheets anonymous to preserve the data’s authenticity. Therefore, students must feel comfortable providing honest answers without fear of judgment. Ensure students know not to record their names.

Additionally, each virtue described below comes with a table of interpretation guidelines. For interpretation of scores, we provide cutoff ranges^[1] that will allow you to compare your group’s scores to those of a general college student sample and a sample of study center students. See sample sizes in parentheses. Unless otherwise noted, all guidelines are based on data collected from Fall 2022 to Spring 2024.

Note about Copyright. The authors or copyright holders of the virtue assessment tools presented in this book have agreed to allow their tools to be presented in this toolkit. Efforts have been made to provide the reader with the citation to reference materials in your own works. Readers are encouraged to use these toolkits for internal assessment purposes, but the commercial use of the materials in this book is not permitted under current copyright agreements.

Assessment Information and Interpretation Guidelines

Intellectual Humility

Intellectual humility is the recognition of the fallibility of one’s own personal beliefs and attentiveness to one’s own intellectual limitations^[2]. To measure intellectual humility, participants rate six statements on a scale from 1 (not at all true of me) to 5 (extremely true of me). Once you have calculated your group’s mean intellectual humility score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Intellectual Humility
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Intellectual Humility

Expressed Humility – Teachability

Teachability is openness to learning and feedback^[3]. To measure teachability, participants rate three statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Once you have calculated your group’s mean teachability score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Expressed Humility, Teachability
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Expressed Humility, Teachability

Interpersonal Generosity

Interpersonal generosity is the expenditure of personal goods like attention and emotional energy for the good of others^[4]. To measure interpersonal generosity, participants rate ten statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Once you have calculated your group’s mean interpersonal generosity score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Interpersonal Generosity
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Interpersonal Generosity

Gratitude

Gratitude is the tendency to express appreciation after benefiting from an altruistic act^[5]. To measure gratitude, participants rate six statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Once you have calculated your group’s mean gratitude score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Gratitude
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Gratitude

Gratitude to God

Gratitude to God is the tendency to recognize and appreciate God’s beneficence^[6]. To measure gratitude to God, participants rate six statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Once you have calculated your group’s mean gratitude to God score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Gratitude to God
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Gratitude to God

Transcendent Indebtedness to God

Transcendent indebtedness to God is glad recognition of God’s undeserved blessings, which promotes gratitude and strengthened relationship with God^[7]. To measure transcendent indebtedness to God, participants rate six statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Once you have calculated your group’s mean transcendent indebtedness to God score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Transcendent Indebtedness to God
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Transcendent Indebtedness to God

Transcendent Indebtedness to Humans

Transcendent indebtedness to humans is willing acceptance of blessings form loving others, which promotes gratitude and strengthens relationships with them^[8]. To measure transcendent indebtedness to humans, participants rate three statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Once you have calculated your group’s mean transcendent indebtedness to humans score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

Note. Low, average, and high score cutoffs for transcendent indebtedness to humans are based only on data collected in the Spring of 2024.

• Present Moment – Transcendent Indebtedness to Humans
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Transcendent Indebtedness to Humans

Patience

Patience is the propensity to wait calmly despite frustration or suffering^[9]. We measure patience in three domains: interpersonal patience (patience with others), life hardship patience (patience through major life struggles), and daily hassles (patience during minor inconveniences). To measure total patience, participants rate eleven statements on a scale from 1 (not like me at all) to 5 (very much like me). This measure also captures domain-specific patience: five statements correspond to interpersonal patience, three to life hardship patience, and three to daily hassles patience. Once you have calculated your group’s mean patience scores, you can compare them to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Patience
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Patience

Self-Control

Self-control is the capacity to override, interrupt, or refrain from undesired behaviors for the sake of long-term goal pursuit^[10]. Dimensions of self-control include inhibitory self-control, the inhibition of immediate impulses, and initiatory self-control, the initiation of goal-directed behavior^[11]. To measure self-control, participants rate 13 statements on a scale from 1 (not like me at all) to 5 (very much like me). This measure also captures the different dimensions of self-control: six statements correspond to inhibitory self-control, and four correspond to initiatory self-control. Once you have calculated your group’s mean self-control scores, you can compare them to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Self-Control
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Self-Control

Courage

Courage is willful risk-taking for a noble good or worthy end^[12]. To measure courage, participants rate six statements on a scale from 1 (never) to 7 (always). Once you have calculated your group’s mean courage score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Courage
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Courage

Meaning in Life

Meaning in life is a multidimensional construct made up of meaning in life judgments, coherence, purpose, and mattering^[13]. Meaning in life judgments are the judgments that one’s life has meaning; coherence is making sense of one’s life experiences; purpose is having a life aim and working to fulfill it; and mattering is the sense that one’s life is worth living and makes a difference in the world. To measure meaning in life, participants rate eight statements on a scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Each dimension of meaning in life is represented by two statements from the measure. Once you have calculated your group’s mean meaning in life scores, you can compare them to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Meaning in Life
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Meaning in Life

Beyond-the-Self Orientation

Beyond-the-self orientation is a long-term, forward-looking motivation to accomplish meaningful aims of consequence to the broader world^[14]. To measure beyond-the-self orientation, participants rate four statements on a scale from 1 (almost never) to 5 (all of the time). Once you have calculated your group’s mean beyond-the-self orientation score, you can compare it to the cutoffs below:

• Present Moment – Beyond-the-Self Orientation
• Retrospective Post-then-Pre Test – Beyond-the-Self Orientation

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES