Questionnaire for Assessing the Self-Change Potential of a Person

The paper presents the development of the Self-Change Potential questionnaire. The validation of the questionnaire was conducted in three steps. Within the first series of studies (N=248) the structure of the questionnaire was defined, the consistency of the resulting scales was checked and certain items were corrected. The construct validity of the modified version of the questionnaire was tested within the second series of studies (N=569). At the final stage (N=36) test-retest reliability was checked. The obtained Cronbach’s α coefficients (0,64—0,8) for all scales of the questionnaire and the sum score demonstrated its satisfactory consistency. All items had significant correlations with the sum score (р<0,0001). To test the construct validity we used the Change Response Styles Questionnaire, the Portrait Value Questionnaire (revised version), the Style of Conscious Self-Regulation of the Behavior Questionnaire, and the Self-Efficacy Scale. Correlations with these measures confirmed the construct validity of the questionnaire. The Self-Change Potential Questionnaire can be used for assessing a person’s ability for self-changes on the various levels of mental organization, which could be consciously initiated and actualized.

1. Bazarov T.Yu., Sycheva M.P. Sozdanie i aprobatsiya oprosnika “Stili reagirovaniya na izmeneniya” [Development and approbation of Change Response Styles Questionnaire] [Elektronnyi resurs]. Psikhologicheskie issledovaniya = Psychological Studies, 2012. Vol. 5 (25). Available at: http://psystudy.ru (Accessed 09.03.2020).
2. Bityutskaya E.V., Bazarov T.Yu. Osobennosti vospriyatiya zhiznennykh sobytii lyud’mi s raznymi predpochitaemymi stilyami reagirovaniya na izmeneniya [Features of perception of life events by people with different preferred styles of response to changes]. Voprosy Psikhologii, 2019, no. 3, pp. 94—106.
3. Golovanova N.F., Dermanova I.B. Samorazvitie lichnosti kak predmet pedagogiki i psikhologii [Personality self-development as a subject of pedagogics and psychology]. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Seriya 12: Psikhologiya. Sotsiologiya. Pedagogika = Saint Petersburg University Bulletin. Series 12: Psychology. Sociology. Pedagogy, 2015, no. 3, pp. 51—63.
4. Grishina N.V. “Samoizmeneniya” lichnosti: vozmozhnoe i neobkhodimoe [‘Self-changes’ of person: Possible and necessary]. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Psikhologiya i pedagogika = Saint Petersburg University Bulletin. Psychology and Pedagogy, 2018. Vol. 8 (2), pp. 126—138. DOI:10.21638/11701/ spbu16.2018.202
5. Klimanova S.G., Trusova A.V., Kiselev A.S., et al. Adaptatsiya russkoyazychnoi versii oprosnika dlya otsenki gotovnosti k izmeneniyam (SOCRATES) [Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Russian version of the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES)]. Konsul’tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2018. Vol.26 (3), pp. 80—104. DOI:10.17759/cpp.2018260305.(In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)
6. Korzhova E.Yu. Psikhologiya zhiznennykh orientatsii cheloveka [Psychology of the Life Orientation of a Person]. Saint Petersburg: RKhGA Publ., 2006. 384 p.
7. Leont’ev D.A. (ed.). Lichnostnyi potentsial: struktura i diagnostika [Personality Potential: Structure and Diagnosis]. Moscow: Smysl, 2011. 679 p.
8. Manukyan V.R., Murtazina I.R. Samoizmenenie: psikhologicheskii status i vozmozhnosti izmereniya [Self-change: Psychological Status and Measurement Possibilities]. Vestnik Sankt-Peterburgskogo universiteta. Psikhologiya = Saint Petersburg University Bulletin. Psychology, 2019. Vol. 9 (4), pp. 331—345. DOI:10.21638/spbu16.2019.401
9. Mitina L.M. Psikhologiya razvitiya konkurentosposobnoi lichnosti [Developmental Psychology of a Competitive Personality]. Moscow: MPSI, 2002. 400 p.
10. Morosanova V.I. Oprosnik “Stil’ samoregulyatsii povedeniya” (SSPM): rukovodstvo [Questionnaire “Self-regulation of Behavior Styles” (SSRB): Manual]. Moscow: Kogito-Tsentr, 2004. 44 p.
11. Sapronov D.V., Leont’ev D.A. Lichnostnyi dinamizm i ego diagnostika [Personal dynamism and its diagnostics]. Psikhologicheskaya diagnostika = Psychological Assessment, 2007, no. 1, pp. 66—84.
12. Semenov D.V., Elshanskii S.P., Anufriev A.F., et al. Russkoyazychnaya versiya Shkaly initsiativy k lichnostnomu rostu K. Robichek [The Russian-language version of the C. Robitschek’s Personal Growth Initiative Scale] [Elektronnyi resurs]. Gumanitarnye nauchnye issledovaniya = Humanities Scientific Researches, 2016, no. 4. Available at: http://human.snauka.ru/2016/04/14668 (Accessed 09.03.2020).
13. Morosanova V.I. (ed.). Sub”ektilichnost’ v psikhologii samoregulyatsii: Sbornik nauchnykh trudov [Subject and Personality in Psychology of Self-regulation: Handbook]. Moscow: PI RAO; Stavropol’: SevKavGTU, 2007. 430 p.
14. Heckhausen H. Motivatsiya i deyatel’nost’ [Motivation and Action]. Vol. 2. Moscow: Pedagogika, 1986. 392 p. (In Russ.).
15. Shvarts Sh., Butenko T.P., Sedova D.S., et al. Utochnennaya teoriya bazovykh individual’nykh tsennostei: primenenie v Rossii [Refined theory of basic individual values: Application in Russia]. Psikhologiya. Zhurnal Vysshei shkoly ekonomiki = Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 2012. Vol. 9 (1), pp. 43—70.
16. Shchukina M.A. Sub”ektnyi podkhod k samorazvitiyu lichnosti: vozmozhnosti teoreticheskogo ponimaniya i empiricheskogo izucheniya [Subjectivity approach to self-development of the personality: Theoretical understanding and empirical study]. Psikhologiya. Zhurnal Vysshei shkoly ekonomiki = Psychology. Journal of the Higher School of Economics, 2014, no. 2, pp. 7—22.
17. Caspi A., Roberts B.W., Shiner R.L. Personality development: Stability and change. Annual Review of Psychology, 2005. Vol. 56 (1), pp. 453—484. DOI:10.1146/annurev. psych.55.090902.141913
18. Dweck C.S. Self-theories: Their role in motivation, personality, and development. Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press, 1999. 195 p.
19. Granberg E.M. “Now my ‘old self’ is thin”: Stigma exits after weight loss. Social Psychology Quarterly, 2011. Vol. 74 (1), pp. 29—52. DOI:10.1177/0190272511398020
20. Hudson N.W., Roberts B.W. Goals to change personality traits: Concurrent links between personality traits, daily behavior, and goals to change oneself. Journal of Research in Personality, 2014. Vol. 53, pp. 68—83. DOI:10.1016/j.jrp.2014.08.008
21. Hudson N.W., Fraley R.C. Volitional personality trait change: Can people choose to change their personality traits? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2015. Vol. 109 (3), pp. 490—507. DOI:10.1037/pspp0000021
22. Kougiali Z.G, Fasulo A., Needs A., et al. Planting the seeds of change: directionality in the narrative construction of recovery from addiction. Psychology & Health, 2017. Vol. 32 (6),pp. 639—664.DOI:10.1080/08870446.2017.1293053
23. Robins R.W., Noftle E.E., Trzesniewski K.H., et al. Do people know how their personality has changed? Correlates of perceived and actual personality change in young adulthood. Journal of Personality, 2005. Vol. 73 (2), pp. 489—521. DOI:10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00317.x
24. Robitschek C. Personal growth initiative: The construct and its measure. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 1998. Vol. 30 (4), pp. 183—198. DOI: 10.1080/07481756.1998.12068941
25. Robitschek C., Ashton M.W., Spering C.C., et al. Development and psychometric evaluation of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale-II. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 2012. Vol. 59 (2), pp. 274—287.DOI:10.1037/a0027310
26. Schwartz S.H., Cieciuch J., Vecchione M., et al. Refining the theory of basic individual values. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2012. Vol. 103 (4), pp. 663—688. DOI:10.1037/a0029393
27. Tomarken A.J., Waller N.G. Potential problems with “well fitting” models. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2003. Vol. 112 (4), pp. 578—598.
28. Quintus M., Egloff B., Wrzus C. Predictors of volitional personality change in younger and older adults: Response surface analyses signify the complementary perspectives of the self and knowledgeable others. Journal of Research in Personality, 2017. Vol. 70, pp. 214—228. DOI:10.1016/j.jrp.2017.08.001