Self-Restraint—Weinberger Adjustment Inventory

Abstract

The Self-Restraint—Weinberger Adjustment Inventory (WAI) is a psychometric tool designed to measure an individual’s capacity for self-restraint, defining it as a multi-faceted dimension of psychological adjustment. The scale comprises 30 items covering four primary facets of restraint: impulse control, responsibility, consideration of others, and the suppression of aggression. Developed by Weinberger and Schwartz, the scale is useful in assessing behavioral tendencies, particularly those related to social conduct and the avoidance of high-risk activities.

Keywords

Self-Restraint, Weinberger Adjustment Inventory, WAI, Impulse Control, Aggression Suppression, Responsibility, Consideration of Others, Psychological Adjustment, Behavioral Assessment, Violence-Related Attitudes.

Authors

Daniel A. Weinberger, Ph.D., George E. Schwartz, Ph.D.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Self-Restraint—Weinberger Adjustment Inventory is to quantify the degree to which an individual exercises control over potentially harmful or socially undesirable behaviors. It serves to assess a crucial dimension of overall psychological functioning, often studied alongside distress, to provide a comprehensive typological perspective on adjustment.

This instrument is specifically designed to evaluate the mechanisms underlying behavioral inhibition, particularly in contexts involving temptation, anger, or disregard for social norms. Its use has been documented in research concerning violence-related attitudes and behaviors among youth populations, suggesting applicability in both clinical and educational research settings.

Construct

The WAI measures the construct of Self-Restraint, which is hypothesized to be a superordinate dimension of adjustment, distinct from neurotic distress. High self-restraint reflects a disposition toward inhibition, caution, adherence to rules, and consideration of others’ welfare.

The scale operationalizes self-restraint through four key subscales, reflecting different behavioral domains where control is exerted:

• Suppression of Aggression: Measures the inhibition of hostile and retaliatory responses, encompassing items such as managing temper and avoiding verbal or physical conflict (e.g., items 6, 10, 20, 22, 25, 28, 30).

• Impulse Control: Measures the ability to delay gratification and think before acting, thereby avoiding rash, reckless, or thrill-seeking behavior (e.g., items 2, 3, 8, 12, 15, 18, 24, 27).

• Consideration of Others: Measures altruistic behavior and empathy, focusing on the welfare and feelings of people around the respondent (e.g., items 1, 5, 7, 11, 16, 19, 26).

• Responsibility: Measures adherence to social and legal rules, avoidance of cheating, theft, and generally irresponsible conduct (e.g., items 4, 9, 13, 14, 17, 21, 23, 29).

Validity

The validity of the Self-Restraint scale is theoretically grounded in the original research by Weinberger and Schwartz (1990), which established restraint and distress as independent, superordinate dimensions contributing to overall psychological adjustment. This framework suggests that the WAI possesses strong theoretical construct validity by isolating a unique domain of personality function.

The empirical validity is supported by the consistent factor structure identified by the four distinct subscales, which comprehensively cover behavioral inhibition, social responsibility, and emotional regulation. The scale is frequently used in research on antisocial behavior and risk assessment, confirming its ecological and predictive utility in identifying individuals with poor self-regulatory capacities.

Reliability

Specific internal consistency or test-retest reliability coefficients are not explicitly detailed in the provided source material. However, the scale’s inclusion in major public health compendiums and its consistent citation in academic literature imply that the instrument demonstrated acceptable psychometric reliability during its initial development phase.

The scoring procedure allows for a prorated score calculation if 25% or less of the responses are missing, a methodological feature designed to maintain the reliability and usability of the measure even with minor missing data. The scale should generally not be scored if missing data exceeds 25%.

Factor Analysis

The WAI Self-Restraint scale is empirically derived, reflecting a factor structure that supports the conceptualization of self-restraint as a hierarchical construct composed of four primary, measurable components. Factor analysis likely confirmed the distinctiveness of the four subscales:

• Suppression of Aggression (7 items)

• Impulse Control (8 items)

• Consideration of Others (7 items)

• Responsibility (8 items)

This multifactor structure allows researchers to assess both the global capacity for self-restraint and the specific areas (e.g., aggression vs. responsibility) where an individual might experience difficulties in behavioral regulation.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire (Psychological Inventory)

Format: 30 items, utilizing two distinct 5-point Likert-type response formats depending on the nature of the item being assessed.

Language Available: English (Original version)

Population Group: General population, frequently employed with youth and adolescent samples.

Age Group: Suitable for adolescents and adults, particularly those capable of self-reflection and classroom administration.

Population Details: The instrument is highly relevant for research focused on behavioral problems, delinquency, violence prevention, and overall psychological adjustment in school or community settings.

Test Methodology: The total score is derived by summing the point values of all responses, often requiring recoding of negatively keyed items to ensure higher scores consistently reflect a higher level of emotional restraint.

• Full Scale Score: Ranges from 30 (low restraint) to 150 (high restraint).

• Short Version Score: Based on 12 selected items (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 22, 23), scores range from 12 (low restraint) to 60 (high restraint).

Keywords

Psychometric Scale, Behavioral Inhibition, Self-Control, Likert Scale, Recoding, Violence Prevention, Psychopathology, Subscales, Superordinate Dimensions.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source.

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Daniel A. Weinberger, Ph.D., Wellen Center, P.O. Box 22807, Beachwood, OH 44122, USA. Tel: (440) 734-7861, Fax: (404) 378-5930.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The Self-Restraint scale is copyrighted. Prospective users must contact the corresponding author, Daniel A. Weinberger, Ph.D., directly to obtain permission for use. Information regarding usage fees is not provided in the source material.

The scale was developed and documented in the context of research published in 1990. The instrument is further compiled in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resource, Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools. The original PDF can be downloaded here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/YV_Compendium.pdf.

Reference’s

Weinberger DA, Schwartz GE. Distress and restraint as superordinate dimensions of adjustment: a typological perspective. Journal of Personality 1990;58(2):381-417.

Items of the Self-Restraint—Weinberger Adjustment Inventory

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

1. Doing things to help other people is more important to me than almost anything else.

2. I’m the kind of person who will try anything once, even if it’s not that safe.

3. I should try harder to control myself when I’m having fun.

4. I do things that are against the law more often than most people.

5. I often go out of my way to do things for other people.

6. People who get me angry better watch out.

7. I think about other people’s feelings before I do something they might not like.

8. I do things without giving them enough thought.

9. When I have the chance, I take things I want that don’t really belong to me.

10. If someone tries to hurt me, I make sure I get even with them.

11. I enjoy doing things for other people, even when I don’t receive anything in return.

12. I become “wild and crazy” and do things other people might not like.

13. I do things that are really not fair to people I don’t care about.

14. I will cheat on something if I know no one will find out.

15. When I’m doing something for fun (for example, partying, acting silly), I tend to get carried away and go too far.

16. I make sure that doing what I want will not cause problems for other people.

17. I break laws and rules I don’t agree with.

18. I like to do new and different things that many people would consider weird or not really safe.

19. Before I do something, I think about how it will affect the people around me.

20. If someone does something I really don’t like, I yell at them about it.

21. People can depend on me to do what I know I should.

22. I lose my temper and “let people have it” when I’m angry.

23. I do things that I know really aren’t right.

24. I say the first thing that comes into my mind without thinking enough about it.

25. I pick on people I don’t like.

26. I try very hard not to hurt other people’s feelings.

27. I stop and think things through before I act.

28. I say something mean to someone who has upset me.

29. I make sure I stay out of trouble.

30. When someone tries to start a fight with me, I fight back.