New frontiers in rehabilitation psychology : scale development for the assessment of positive traits in individuals with physical disabilities

Abstract

Rehabilitation psychology and counseling has long been centered on the idea of emphasizing individuals’ positive attributes and strengths. The purpose of this study was to begin development of an empirical device for which to measure those strengths of character in both a rehabilitation context and the general population. A classification of virtue and character strengths was developed in positive psychology and in recent years, the field has seen an increase in exposure and research exploring human virtue. Utilizing this framework, inventory items were developed and field tested with a panel of experts and a small sample of individuals with the intent of establishing face validity. Nearly 400 items were developed throughout the process and at the conclusion of this study, a final inventory of 51 items remained. Implications for rehabilitation counseling and future directions are discussed.