Strengths Use and Current Knowledge Scale (SUCK)

Abstract

The Strengths Use and Current Knowledge Scale (SUCK) is a comprehensive psychological instrument developed by Govindji and Linley in 2007. It is designed to quantify an individual’s awareness and active deployment of their personal character strengths in daily life, work, and personal goal attainment. The scale initially consists of three distinct subscales: Strengths Use, Strengths Knowledge, and Organismic Valuing. It is rooted in the field of Positive psychology, aiming to explore the relationship between strengths deployment, self-concordance, and overall well-being. The SUCK scale is highly regarded for its robust internal consistency and utility in coaching and organizational psychology contexts, providing measurable data on how effectively individuals leverage their innate capabilities.

Keywords

Strengths Use, Strengths Knowledge, Organismic Valuing, Positive psychology, Well-being, Strengths Coaching, Self-Concordance, Psychological Assessment

Authors

Rona Govindji, P. Alex Linley, M. A. West (Co-authors on related work), Aaron Jarden (Adaptation)

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Strengths Use and Current Knowledge Scale (SUCK) is to provide researchers and practitioners with a reliable measure of two critical components of positive functioning: the extent to which individuals actively employ their signature strengths (Strengths Use) and their level of self-awareness regarding those strengths (Strengths Knowledge).

By integrating the Organismic Valuing subscale, the instrument also aims to assess the degree to which an individual’s actions and decisions are congruent with their authentic self and inner psychological needs, a concept central to self-determination theory. Ultimately, the scale serves as a diagnostic tool for understanding how strengths deployment mediates outcomes such as goal achievement, job satisfaction, and general psychological well-being.

Construct

The SUCK scale measures constructs fundamental to applied Positive psychology, focusing on the practical application of inherent talents and qualities. The overall construct is multidimensional, encompassing behavioral application, cognitive awareness, and intrinsic motivation.

• Strengths Use: This subscale measures the frequency and diversity with which individuals intentionally apply their known strengths across various life domains (e.g., work, relationships, personal challenges). High scores indicate habitual and versatile strengths deployment.
• Strengths Knowledge: This subscale measures the degree of self-awareness regarding one’s own strengths. It assesses how readily and clearly an individual can identify their best qualities and capabilities.
• Organismic Valuing: Derived from self-determination theory, this component assesses the degree to which an individual trusts their own intrinsic feelings and psychological needs when making decisions, indicating a high level of self-integration and authenticity. This construct is often linked theoretically to self-concordant goal pursuit.

Validity

While the source material focuses heavily on internal reliability, subsequent research by Linley, Govindji, and others has established the scale’s construct validity through its strong theoretical alignment with established models of well-being and self-determination.

Studies, such as those by Proctor, Maltby, and Linley (2011), demonstrated robust criterion validity, showing that Strengths Use significantly predicts higher levels of well-being and health-related quality of life, confirming the scale measures the intended positive outcome predictor. Furthermore, the distinct factor structure supports discriminant validity, confirming that Strengths Use, Strengths Knowledge, and Organismic Valuing are related yet separate constructs.

Reliability

The SUCK scale demonstrates excellent internal consistency, as evidenced by high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients reported in the initial development phase (Govindji et al., 2007). These high scores suggest that the items within each subscale are highly interrelated and reliably measure their respective constructs.

• Strengths Use Scale: Internal reliability (alpha) = 0.95. This indicates exceptional consistency, suggesting the scale items effectively cover the domain of strengths application.
• Organismic Valuing Scale: Internal reliability (alpha) = 0.91. This also demonstrates high internal consistency for measuring self-integration and reliance on intrinsic guidance.
• Strengths Knowledge Scale: Internal reliability (alpha) = 0.89. This high alpha value confirms that the items accurately and consistently measure self-awareness of personal strengths.

Factor Analysis

Although specific details of the initial exploratory or confirmatory factor analysis are not fully detailed in the provided excerpt, the clear separation of items into three distinct subscales (Strengths Use, Strengths Knowledge, and Organismic Valuing) strongly implies a robust three-factor structure.

This factor structure is critical for maintaining the scale’s utility, allowing researchers to examine the unique contributions of behavioral application (Use), cognitive awareness (Knowledge), and intrinsic alignment (Valuing) to overall positive outcomes. The subsequent adaptation by Aaron (2011) often combines the Strengths Use and Strengths Knowledge items, suggesting a highly correlated relationship between these two factors in practical application settings.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychometric scale

Format: Multi-item, multi-factor scale utilizing a Likert scale response format.

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: General adult population, frequently used in organizational, coaching, and educational settings.

Age Group: Adults (typically 18+).

Population Details: Developed primarily using samples relevant to organizational and coaching psychology research, focusing on individuals in professional or educational environments. The scale is widely applicable across diverse demographics seeking to improve personal performance and well-being.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement with each statement using a 7-point Likert scale, where 1 = Strongly disagree and 7 = Strongly agree. The scale uses three main subscales for scoring. An adapted version (Aaron, 2011) also includes a direct percentage rating of time spent using strengths.

Keywords

SUCK Scale, Govindji and Linley, Strengths Assessment, Organizational Psychology, Coaching Psychology, Self-Determination, Character strengths, Self-Concordance, Psychometrics, Internal Consistency

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source material.

Correspondence Address: Not specified in source material.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The instrument was initially published and validated in 2007 by Govindji and Linley. The instrument is generally available for academic research purposes, often found cited in publications related to positive psychological assessment. The original publication can be located via ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/47528957. For specific commercial use or organizational deployment, users should contact the primary authors (R. Govindji or P. A. Linley) or relevant publishers for permission and fee structure, which are not detailed in the source material.

Reference’s

• Govindji, R., & Linley, P. A. (2007). Strengths use, self-concordance and well-being: Implications for strengths coaching and coaching psychologists. International Coaching Psychology Review, 2 (2), 143-153.
• Linley, P. A., Govindji, R., & West, M. A. (2007). Positive psychology approaches to public services leadership: An introduction to strengths-based leadership. The International Journal of Leadership in Public Services, 3(4), 44-55.
• Linley, A. (2008). Average to A+: Realising strengths in yourself and others. Coventry, UK.
• Proctor, Carmel., Maltby, John., Linley, P. Alex. (2011). Strengths Use as a Predictor of Well-Being and Health-Related Quality of Life. J Happiness Stud, 12, 153–169. DOI 10.1007/s10902-009-9181-2.
• Jarden, Aaron. (2011). Positive Psychological Assessment: A practical introduction to empirically validated research tools for measuring wellbeing. Available at: http://www.aaronjarden.com/aarons-professional-page.html
• Jarden, A., and Jarden, R. (2016). Positive psychological assessment for the workplace. In L Oades et al. (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Positive Psychology at Work, pp. 415-437. Published Online: 19 Nov 2016: DOI: 10.1002/9781118977620.ch22.

Items of the Strengths Use and Current Knowledge Scale (SUCK)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Strengths Use Scale (alpha 0.95)

1. I am regularly able to do what I do best
2. I always play to my strengths
3. I always try to use my strengths
4. I achieve what I want by using my strengths
5. I use my strengths everyday
6. I use my strengths to get what I want out of life
7. My work gives me lots of opportunities to use my strengths
8. My life presents me with lots of different ways to use my strengths
9. Using my strengths comes naturally to me
10. I find it easy to use my strengths in the things I do
11. I am able to use my strengths in lots of different situations
12. Most of my time is spent doing the things that I am good at doing
13. Using my strengths is something I am familiar with
14. I am able to use my strengths in lots of different ways

*************

Organismic Valuing Scale (alpha 0.91)

1. I know the things that are right for me
2. I get what I need from life
3. The decisions I take are the right ones for me
4. I feel that I am in touch with myself
5. I feel integrated with myself
6. I do the things that are right for me
7. The decisions I make are based on what is right for me
8. I am able to listen to myself

*************

Strengths Knowledge Scale (alpha 0.89)

1. Other people see the strengths that I have
2. I have to think hard about what my strengths are
3. I know what I do best
4. I am aware of my strengths
5. I know the things I am good at doing
6. I know my strengths well
7. I know the things I do best
8. I know when I am at my best

*************

Adaption (by Aaron 2011)

1. I know my strengths well. ______
2. Other people see the strengths that I have. ______
3. I know the things I am good at doing. ______
4. I have to think hard about what my strengths are. ______
5. I know when I am at my best. ______
6. I always try to use my strengths. ______
7. I achieve what I want by using my strengths. ______
8. Using my strengths comes naturally to me. ______
9. I find it easy to use my strengths in the things I do. ______
10. I am able to use my strengths in lots of different ways. ______

Circle how much of your time do you spend using your strengths?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Knowledge = ______

Use = ______

Scoring Key: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Slightly disagree, 4 = Neither agree nor disagree, 5 = Slightly agree, 6 = Agree, 7 = Strongly agree