Personal Growth Initiative Scale II (PGIS-II)

Abstract

The Personal Growth Initiative Scale II (PGIS-II) is a revised, multidimensional psychological instrument designed to quantify the complex processes involved in Personal Growth Initiative (PGI). PGI is conceptually defined as a person’s active and intentional involvement in changing and developing themselves. The scale is structured around four distinct subscales: Readiness for Change, Planfulness, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior, providing a comprehensive measure of the individual’s proactive engagement in self-improvement.

Keywords

Personal Growth Initiative, PGIS-II, Counseling Psychology, self-development, intentional behavior, readiness for change, psychological assessment, psychometrics.

Authors

Robitschek, C., Ashton, M. W., Spering, C. C., Geiger, N., Byers, D., Schotts, G. C., & Thoen, M.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PGIS-II is to serve as a reliable and valid measure of Personal Growth Initiative (PGI). It was developed as a refinement of earlier measures to capture the multidimensional nature of PGI, recognizing it not merely as a trait but as a process involving specific, observable behaviors and cognitive states.

This scale is widely utilized in counseling, clinical, and educational psychology research to assess an individual’s capacity and disposition toward proactive self-change and development. It helps researchers and practitioners understand how individuals mobilize resources and strategies to achieve personal goals.

Construct

The PGIS-II measures the construct of Personal Growth Initiative (PGI), which centers on an individual’s active, intentional engagement in the process of self-improvement and development. The construct is broken down into four essential components, which correspond to the scale’s subscales:

• Readiness for Change: Reflects the ability to recognize the need for change and perceive oneself as prepared to initiate specific self-development activities.
• Planfulness: Measures the capacity to set realistic goals and formulate concrete, actionable plans to achieve personal growth.
• Using Resources: Assesses the proactive seeking out and effective utilization of internal and external resources (e.g., social support, professional help) necessary for personal change.
• Intentional Behavior: Captures the consistent, purposeful actions taken to achieve growth, reflecting commitment and active effort toward self-improvement opportunities.

Validity

The psychometric evaluation detailed by Robitschek et al. (2012) established strong evidence for the validity of the PGIS-II. The study supported both the concurrent validity and discriminant validity of the instrument.

The establishment of concurrent validity suggests that the PGIS-II scores correlate appropriately with other measures of related constructs (e.g., well-being, coping mechanisms). Conversely, discriminant validity was confirmed by demonstrating that the PGIS-II measures a unique construct distinct from other, similar psychological variables, ensuring that it specifically captures the active, intentional component of growth initiative rather than general personality traits.

Reliability

Reliability analyses demonstrated the robustness of the PGIS-II across different samples. The scale exhibits strong internal consistency for both the individual subscales and the overall total score, indicating high homogeneity among the items measuring each dimension.

Furthermore, the scale demonstrated acceptable temporal stability across all intervals assessed during the psychometric evaluation, confirming that the measure yields consistent results when administered to the same individuals over time. This high level of reliability makes the PGIS-II suitable for longitudinal research and clinical tracking.

Factor Analysis

The structural integrity of the PGIS-II was rigorously tested through both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). These analyses provided strong empirical evidence supporting the hypothesized four-factor structure.

The consistent findings across both exploratory and confirmatory models validate the theoretical framework of PGI as consisting of the four distinct, yet related, subscales: Readiness for Change, Planfulness, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior. This clear factor structure ensures that the scale accurately maps the multidimensional nature of the construct it intends to measure.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Multidimensional psychological scale

Format: 16 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale (0 = Disagree Strongly to 5 = Agree Strongly).

Language Available: English (Original)

Population Group: General population, primarily utilized in research with adult and college student populations.

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults (typically 18+)

Population Details: Developed and validated using samples relevant to counseling psychology settings.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their level of agreement with statements reflecting their active and intentional involvement in personal change processes. Scores are calculated for four subscales and a Total Mean Score.

Keywords

Psychological assessment, counseling, self-efficacy, intentional change, goal setting, psychometric properties, internal consistency, validity, clinical tool.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Correspondence Address: N/A (Information not provided in source material)

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Personal Growth Initiative Scale – II was copyrighted by Dr. Christine Robitschek in 2008. The scale is intended for free use in research, educational, and clinical purposes. Users are explicitly warned that this work is protected by copyright and may not be used for commercial purposes.

Test Year: 2008 (Copyright Year)

Reference’s

Robitschek, C., Ashton, M. W., Spering, C. C., Geiger, N., Byers, D., Schotts, G. C., & Thoen, M. (2012). Development and psychometric properties of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale – II. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59, 274-287. doi: 10.1037/a0027310

Items of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale II (PGIS-II)

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

Christine Robitschek, Ph.D., 2008

For each statement, please mark how much you agree or disagree with that statement. Use the following scale:

• 0 = Disagree Strongly
• 1 = Disagree Somewhat
• 2 = Disagree a Little
• 3 = Agree a Little
• 4 = Agree Somewhat
• 5 = Agree Strongly

WARNING. This work is protected by copyright and is intended for free use in research, educational, and clinical purposes. This work may not be used for commercial purposes.

Scoring Information

There are four subscales on the PGIS-II: Readiness for Change, Planfulness, Using Resources, and Intentional Behavior. A Total Mean Score also can be calculated.

General information:

• All items are positively worded.
• To calculate the subscale scores, sum the item responses for that subscale and divide by the number of items in the subscale.
  • Thus, a subscale score is the mean response value for items on that subscale.
• The Total Mean Score is calculated by summing the subscale scores and then dividing by 4 (i.e., the number of subscales).
  • This provides a mean subscale score and reduces weighted effects of the different number of items on the subscales.

Subscales and their items (numbers in parentheses are item numbers from the PGIS-II as it is administered):

Readiness for Change

(2) I can tell when I am ready to make specific changes in myself.

(8) I figure out what I need to change about myself.

(11) I know when I need to make a specific change in myself.

(16) I know when it’s time to change specific things about myself.

Planfulness

(1) I set realistic goals for what I want to change about myself.

(3) I know how to make a realistic plan in order to change myself.

(5) When I try to change myself, I make a realistic plan for my personal growth.

(10) I know how to set realistic goals to make changes in myself.

(13) I know steps I can take to make intentional changes in myself.

Using Resources

(6) I ask for help when I try to change myself.

(12) I use resources when I try to grow.

(14) I actively seek out help when I try to change myself.

Intentional Behavior

(4) I take every opportunity to grow as it comes up.

(7) I actively work to improve myself.

(9) I am constantly trying to grow as a person.

(15) I look for opportunities to grow as a person.