Aspirations Index

Abstract

The Aspirations Index (AI) is a widely utilized psychological instrument designed to measure individuals’ life goals and aspirations. Developed primarily by Tim Kasser and Richard M. Ryan, the scale is grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), which posits that human aspirations can be categorized into two broad types: Intrinsic Goals, which inherently satisfy basic psychological needs, and Extrinsic Goals, which focus on external rewards and social approval. The AI assesses the relative importance, likelihood of attainment, and current attainment of these goals, providing insight into how goal priorities relate to measures of psychological well-being and distress.

Keywords

Aspirations Index, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, life goals, Self-Determination Theory, values, psychological needs, personal development, financial success.

Authors

Tim Kasser, Richard M. Ryan

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Aspirations Index is to systematically quantify and differentiate between various types of life goals held by individuals. By measuring both the subjective importance placed on a goal and the perceived likelihood of attainment, researchers can analyze the motivational profile of participants. This tool is instrumental in testing hypotheses derived from SDT regarding how different constellations of goals—specifically the pursuit of extrinsic versus intrinsic aims—impact mental health, happiness, and overall quality of life.

The scale allows for the calculation of a relative extrinsic versus intrinsic aspiration score, facilitating research into the psychological consequences associated with prioritizing material wealth, fame, and image over personal growth, affiliation, and community contribution.

Construct

The Aspirations Index is a measure of goal content, structured around the fundamental distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic goals. These goal domains are designed to capture different underlying values:

• Intrinsic Goals: These are goals that are congruent with innate psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Subscales typically include Self-Acceptance (personal growth, insight), Affiliation (intimate relationships, love), Community Feeling (helping others, contributing to society), and Physical Health (fitness, freedom from sickness).
• Extrinsic Goals: These are goals focused on obtaining external rewards or validation from others. Subscales typically include Financial Success (wealth, expensive possessions), Attractive Appearance (image, physical attractiveness), and Social Recognition (fame, admiration).

The instrument operationalizes the hypothesis that placing high importance on intrinsic goals is positively correlated with well-being, whereas prioritizing extrinsic goals is associated with higher levels of distress and psychological ill-being.

Validity

The validity of the Aspirations Index has been extensively documented, particularly concerning its construct validity within the framework of Self-Determination Theory. Research, including cross-cultural studies (e.g., Grouzet et al., 2005), consistently confirms the predicted structure separating intrinsic and extrinsic goal clusters. The scale demonstrates convergent validity by showing that intrinsic aspirations correlate positively with measures of subjective vitality and positive affect, while extrinsic aspirations correlate positively with measures of narcissism, consumerism, and negative psychological outcomes such as depression and anxiety.

Reliability

The reliability of the Aspirations Index is generally strong across its various forms and subscales. The goal dimensions show good internal consistency, with typical Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging in the acceptable to high range for both the importance and attainment ratings. Furthermore, the scale exhibits adequate test-retest reliability over time, suggesting that an individual’s core priorities regarding life aspirations remain relatively stable.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytic studies, particularly those supporting the longer versions of the index, consistently identify a clear structure supporting the distinction between Intrinsic and Extrinsic goal categories. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses performed across diverse samples and cultures have confirmed that the underlying structure of goal contents is generally robust, clustering the specific subscales into the two higher-order dimensions predicted by SDT. This empirical validation reinforces the theoretical foundation of the scale, demonstrating that life goals are organized around these two fundamental motivational orientations.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire, Psychological assessment of values and goals.

Format: Multi-item scale (versions vary: 42-item, 57-item, 105-item formats). Respondents typically rate each item on two or three dimensions (Importance, Likelihood, and/or Attainment) using Likert scales (e.g., 1 to 5, 1 to 7, or 1 to 9).

Language Available: English (original), with translations available and validated in multiple languages for cross-cultural research (as noted in Grouzet et al., 2005).

Population Group: General population, widely used with adolescents, college students, and adults.

Age Group: Adolescence through adulthood.

Population Details: Originally developed using samples of college students in the U.S., but later validation extended its use globally across various demographic and cultural groups.

Test Methodology: The scale measures subjective ratings of future-oriented goal states. Scoring involves calculating subscale means for Importance and Attainment, and often generating a composite relative extrinsic score (Extrinsic Importance minus Intrinsic Importance).

Keywords

Extrinsic goals, intrinsic goals, goal orientation, self-determination, achievement, material aspiration, personal growth, value structure, cross-cultural psychology.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified in source content.

Correspondence Address: Correspondence is typically directed through the primary authors’ academic institutions, such as Tim Kasser (Knox College) or Richard M. Ryan (University of Rochester/Australian Catholic University).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Aspirations Index is often used in academic research and is generally available for non-commercial research purposes, typically requiring permission from the authors (T. Kasser or R.M. Ryan). The scale was initially developed and published around 1993, with refined versions appearing in 1996 and subsequent years. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.mindfulness-extended.nl/content3/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Aspirations-Index.pdf.

Reference’s

Kasser, T., Ryan, R.M. (1993). A dark side of the American dream: Correlates of financial success as a central life aspiration. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 410–422.

Kasser, T., Ryan, R.M. (1996). Further examining the American dream: Differential correlates of intrinsic and extrinsic goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 280–287.

Kasser, T. (2002). Sketches for a self-determination theory of values. In E. L. Deci, & R. M. Ryan (Eds.), Handbook of self-determination research (pp. 123-140). Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press.

Grouzet, F. E., Kasser, T., Ahuvia, A., Dols, J., Kim, Y., Lau, S., . . . Sheldon, K. M. (2005). The structure of goal contents across 15 cultures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89(5), 800–816.

Kasser & Ryan, (1996). Aspiration Index. In: Simmons C. A., Lehmann P. (eds). Tools for strengths-based assessment and evaluation, New York, NY: Springer, pp. 261-265. (2013).

Items of the Aspirations Index

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

This first set of questions asks you about the future. Rate each item by circling how important it is to you that it happen in the future. Then circle the chances that it will happen in the future.

Importance: 1= not at all, 2=a little, 3=So/So, 4= pretty impt., 5= very impt.

Chances: 1= very low, 2= low, 3= 50/50, 4=high, 5= very high

IN THE FUTURE…

1. You will be physically healthy.
2. Your name will be known by many people.
3. You will have people comment often about how attractive you look.
4. You will have a lot of expensive possessions.
5. You will be famous.
6. You will donate time or money to ch‎arity.
7. You will feel good about your level of physical fitness.
8. You will be the one in ch‎arge of your life.
9. You will have good friends that you can count on.
10. You will keep up with fashions in hair and clothing.
11. You will teach others the things that you know.
12. You will have a job that pays well.
13. You will exercise regularly.
14. You will share your life with someone you love.
15. You will be admired by many people.
16. At the end of your life, you will look back on your life as meaningful and complete.
17. You will avoid things bad for your health (such as smoking, excessive alcohol, etc.)
18. You will have people who care about you and are supportive.
19. You will work for the betterment of society.
20. You will be married to one person for life.
21. You will be your own boss.
22. You will achieve the “look” you’ve been after.
23. You will deal effectively with problems that come up in your life.
24. You will feel energetic and full of life.
25. You will have a job with high social status.
26. You will have good, open relationships with your children.
27. You will work to make the world a better place.
28. You will successfully hide the signs of aging.
29. Your name will appear frequently in the media.
30. You will know people that you can have fun with.
31. You will be relatively free from sickness.
32. You will help others improve their lives.
33. Your body shape and type will be fairly close to ideal.
34. You will buy things just because you want them.
35. You will know and accept who you really are.
36. You will eat healthfully and moderately.
37. You will be financially successful.
38. You will do something that brings you much recognition.
39. You will help people in need.
40. You will have a couple of good friends that you can talk to about personal things.
41. You will be talked about years after your death.
42. Your image will be one others find appealing.

Self-Acceptance: (8, 16, 23, 35), Affiliation (9, 14, 18, 30, 40), Community Feeling (6, 19, 27, 32, 39), Physical Fitness (1, 7, 24, 31), Financial Success (4, 12, 25, 37), Attractive Appearance (3, 10, 22, 28, 42), Social Recognition (2, 5, 15, 29, 38)

This set of questions asks you about goals you may have for the future. Rate each item by circling how important each goal is to you. Then circle the chances that you will attain the goal.

Importance: 1= not at all, to 9= very extremely

Chances: 1= very low, 9= very high

1. There will always be someone around to take care of me.
2. I will be efficient.
3. My image will be one other’s find appealing.
4. I will find personal answers to universal spiritual questions (such as: Is there a supreme spiritual being? Is there life after death? What is the meaning of life?)
5. I will be in control of my emotions.
6. I will assist people who need it, asking nothing in return.
7. I will choose what I do, instead of being pushed along by life.
8. People will show affection to me, and I will to them.
9. I will feel energetic and full of life.
10. I will have few threats to my personal safety.
11. My life will be full of wine, lovers and song.
12. I will have many expensive possessions.
13. I will achieve the “look” I’ve been after.
14. I will be admired by many people.
15. I will be polite and obedient
16. I will have a great sex life.
17. I will have developed a code of ethics and/or morals to guide my life.
18. My basic needs for food, shelter and clothing will be met.
19. I will feel that there are people who really love me.
20. I will feel free.
21. The things I do will make other people’s lives better.
22. My name will be known by many different people.
23. I will be in good physical shape.
24. Someone in my life will accept me as I am, no matter what.
25. I will follow my interests and curiosity where they take me.
26. I will find satisfying religious and/or spiritual activities.
27. I will live up to the expectations of my society.
28. I will deal effectively with problems in my life.
29. I will feel safe and secure.
30. People will often comment about how attractive I look.
31. I will feel good about my level of physical fitness.
32. I will be financially successful.
33. I will have a lot of excitement in my life.
34. I will not have to worry about bad things happening to me.
35. I will produce something of lasting worth.
36. I will find religious or spiritual beliefs that help me make sense of the world.
37. Most everyone who knows me will like me.
38. I will feel good about my abilities.
39. I will successfully hide the signs of aging.
40. I will be relatively free from sickness.
41. My desires and tastes will be similar to those of other people.
42. I will have enough money to buy everything I want.
43. I will express my love for special people.
44. I will find religious and/or spiritual beliefs that are growth-producing.
45. I will overcome the challenges that life presents me.
46. I will have insight into why I do the things I do.
47. I will help the world become a better place.
48. I will experience a great deal of sensual pleasure.
49. My life and actions will be in agreement with my religious/spiritual beliefs.
50. I will have a committed, intimate relationship.
51. I will have a job that pays well.
52. I will “fit in” with others.
53. I will be physically healthy.
54. I will have plenty of time to be lazy.
55. I will keep up with fashions in clothing and hair.
56. My surroundings will be stable and relatively unchanging.
57. People will really respect me.

Money: (12, 32, 42, 51), image (3, 13, 30, 39, 55), popularity: 14, 22, 37), conformity: (15, 27, 41, 52), self-acceptance: (2, 7, 20, 28, 38, 45, 46), affiliation: (8, 19, 24, 43, 50), community: (6, 21, 47), health: (23, 31, 40, 53), spirituality: (4, 26, 36, 44, 49), hedonism: (16, 33, 48), safety: (10, 18, 29, 34)

This set of questions asks you about goals you may have for the future. Rate each item by circling how important each goal is to you. Then circle the chances that you will attain the goal.

Importance: 1= not at all, to 9= very extremely

Chances: 1= very low, 9= very high

1. I will be efficient
2. My image will be one other’s find appealing
3. I will find personal answers to universal spiritual questions (such as: Is there a supreme spiritual being? Is there life after death? What is the meaning of life?)
4. I will assist people who need it, asking nothing in return
5. I will choose what I do, instead of being pushed along by life
6. People will show affection to me, and I will to them
7. I will have few threats to my personal safety
8. I will have many expensive possessions
9. I will achieve the “look” I’ve been after
10. I will be admired by many people
11. I will be polite and obedient
12. I will have a great sex life
13. My basic needs for food, shelter, and clothing will be met
14. I will feel that there are people who really love me
15. I will feel free
16. The things I do will make other people’s lives better
17. My name will be known by many different people
18. I will be in good physical shape
19. Someone in my life will accept me as I am, no matter what
20. I will find satisfying religious and/or spiritual activities
21. I will live up to the expectations of my society
22. I will deal effectively with problems in my life
23. I will feel safe and secure
24. People will often comment about how attractive I look
25. I will feel good about my level of physical fitness
26. I will be financially successful
27. I will have a lot of excitement in my life
28. I will not have to worry about bad things happening to me
29. I will find religious or spiritual beliefs that help me make sense of the world
30. Most everyone who knows me will like me
31. I will feel good about my abilities
32. I will successfully hide the signs of aging
33. I will be relatively free from sickness
34. My desires and tastes will be similar to those of other people
35. I will have enough money to buy everything I want
36. I will express my love for special people
37. I will find religious and/or spiritual beliefs that are growth-producing
38. I will overcome the challenges that life presents me
39. I will have insight into why I do the things I do
40. I will help the world become a better place
41. I will experience a great deal of sensual pleasure
42. My life and actions will be in agreement with my religious/spiritual beliefs
43. I will have a committed, intimate relationship
44. I will have a job that pays well
45. I will “fit in” with others
46. I will be physically healthy
47. I will keep up with fashions in clothing and hair

1=not at all, to 7=very

Life-goal: To be a very wealthy person.

1. How important is this to you?
2. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
3. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To grow and learn new things.

4. How important is this to you?
5. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
6. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have my name known by many people.

7. How important is this to you?
8. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
9. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have good friends that I can count on.

10. How important is this to you?
11. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
12. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To successfully hide the signs of aging.

13. How important is this to you?
14. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
15. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To work for the betterment of society.

16. How important is this to you?
17. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
18. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To be physically healthy.

19. How important is this to you?
20. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
21. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have many expensive possessions.

22. How important is this to you?
23. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
24. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: At the end of my life, to be able to look back on my life as meaningful and complete.

25. How important is this to you?
26. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
27. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To be admired by many people.

28. How important is this to you?
29. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
30. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To share my life with someone I love.

31. How important is this to you?
32. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
33. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have people comment often about how attractive I look.

34. How important is this to you?
35. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
36. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To assist people who need it, asking nothing in return.

37. How important is this to you?
38. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
39. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To feel good about my level of physical fitness.

40. How important is this to you?
41. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
42. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To be financially successful.

43. How important is this to you?
44. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
45. How much is this satisfied currently?

Life-goal: To choose what I do, instead of being pushed along by life.

46. How important is this to you?
47. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
48. How much is this satisfied currently?

Life-goal: To be famous.

49. How important is this to you?
50. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
51. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have committed, intimate relationships.

52. How important is this to you?
53. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
54. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To keep up with fashions in hair and clothing.

55. How important is this to you?
56. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
57. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To work to make the world a better place.

58. How important is this to you?
59. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
60. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To keep myself healthy and well.

61. How important is this to you?
62. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
63. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To be rich.

64. How important is this to you?
65. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
66. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To know and accept who I really am.

67. How important is this to you?
68. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
69. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have my name appear frequently in the media.

70. How important is this to you?
71. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
72. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To feel that there are people who really love me, and whom I love.

73. How important is this to you?
74. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
75. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To achieve the “look” I’ve been after.

76. How important is this to you?
77. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
78. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To help others improve their lives.

79. How important is this to you?
80. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
81. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To be relatively free from sickness.

82. How important is this to you?
83. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
84. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have enough money to buy everything I want.

85. How important is this to you?
86. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
87. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To gain increasing insight into why I do the things I do.

88. How important is this to you?
89. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
90. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To be admired by lots of different people.

91. How important is this to you?
92. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
93. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have deep enduring relationships.

94. How important is this to you?
95. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
96. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have an image that others find appealing.

97. How important is this to you?
98. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
99. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To help people in need.

100. How important is this to you?
101. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
102. How much have you already attained this goal?

Life-goal: To have a physically healthy life style.

103. How important is this to you?
104. How likely is it that this will happen in your future?
105. How much have you already attained this goal?

Wealth: (importance 1, 22, 43, 64, 85; likelihood 2, 23, 44, 65, 86; attainment 3, 34, 45, 66, 87), Fame: (importance 7, 28, 49, 70, 91; likelihood 8, 29, 50, 71, 92; attainment 9, 30, 51, 72, 93), Image: (importance 13, 34, 55, 76, 97; likelihood 14, 35, 56, 77, 98; attainment 15, 36, 57, 78, 99), Personal growth: (importance 4, 25, 46, 67, 88; likelihood 5, 26, 47, 68, 89; attainment 6, 27, 48, 69, 90), Relationships: (importance 10, 31, 52, 73, 94; likelihood 11, 32, 53, 74, 95; attainment 12, 33, 54, 75, 96), Community: (importance 16, 37, 58, 79, 100; likelihood 17, 38, 59, 80, 101; attainment 18, 39, 60, 81, 102), Health: (importance 19, 40, 61, 82, 103; likelihood 20, 41, 62, 83, 104; attainment 21, 42, 63, 84, 105)