5 More Useful Assessments and Scales
While there are many scales available, have a look at these that are most applicable to gratitude.
1. Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test
The GRAT or Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test was developed to measure someone’s dispositional gratitude. There are three different versions of this test. Watkins first created it in 2003.
This 44-question scale is based on the existence of 3 distinct characteristics of a grateful individual. The first is the lack of a sense of deprivation. The second is a tendency to appreciate simple pleasures. The third is the tendency to appreciate the contribution of others to one’s wellbeing and the ability to express that gratitude to others.
The revised version (which is a short-form) of this scale is a shorter collection of 16 items with a Likert-style response. The measure has shown good reliability, validity, and consistency. The scale can be used in a wide variety of interventions and research activities.
2. Gratitude Adjective Scale
The gratitude adjective scale or GAC has been used to investigate the subject of gratitude further. It measures, over time, the subjective experience of gratitude. Increased awareness of states of gratitude can help increase levels of life satisfaction.
Utilizing this scale gives practitioners the ability to see the change that a gratitude practice has over positive emotions over some time. By tracking and improving awareness, practitioners can see the improvement in real-time. When seeing positive results, a person would be more likely to grow and continue the practice.
3. Appreciation Scale
Here is another science-based quiz to assess your level of gratitude. This quiz was created for the Greater Good Magazine from the scale developed by psychologists Mitchell Adler and Nancy Fagley.
The Appreciation Scale was created in 2005 has been utilized in research to show the importance of the feeling of appreciation and its relationship with improved wellbeing. The assumption in the use of this scale is that appreciation subsumes gratitude.
This scale contains eight subclasses that covers the various areas of appreciation including: “have” focus, awe, ritual, present moment, self/social comparison, gratitude, loss/adversity, and inter-personal appreciation.
4. Functionality Appreciation Scale (FAS)
The FAS or Functionality Assessment is used in interventions for people with difficulties with body image (Alleva, Tylka, & Van Diest, 2017). A better appreciation for the functionality of one’s body, in addition to a better understanding of the effect that appearance has on that perception, is helpful for someone improving levels of self-care.
Cultural understanding of body image and the role of appreciation in that respect is expanding in research. The scale is seen below.
Please indicate the extent to which you agree with each of the following statements:
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Strongly agree
- I appreciate my body for what it is capable of doing.
- I am grateful for the health of my body, even if it isn’t always as healthy as I would like it to be.
- I appreciate that my body allows me to communicate and interact with others.
- I acknowledge and appreciate it when my body feels good and relaxed.
- I am grateful that my body enables me to engage in activities that I enjoy or find important.
- I feel that my body does so much for me.
- I respect my body for the functions that it performs.
5. Body Appreciation Scale
The BAS or Body Appreciation Scale is another measure of body image. The scale has been adapted in many languages and utilized to study body image and cultural influence in many countries. A better understanding of the appreciation for one’s body, the higher the prediction of behaviors that can become problematic in various populations.
Utilization of this scale is a strengths-based approach. People suffering from body image difficulties become more aware of their perspective. Their appreciation for their body decreases problematic behaviors when paired with appropriate intervention strategies.
A Take-Home Message
Knowing that the spiritual principles embodied by ancient philosophers and leaders have root in science is exciting. As we know that gratitude increases immune response, lowers hypertension, lowers rates of depression and anxiety, and promotes happiness. Gratitude can be used as an intervention to enhance wellbeing. Knowing where you currently rate on your levels of gratitude can help to see where you need to improve.
Gratitude is like a muscle. The more you practice it, the stronger it becomes. It can become a way of life taking root in all aspects of how one spends their days. It is not a tool to be used to justify narcissistic behavior, but rather a connective force to unite one with the reality that humans are interconnected. We work together to improve the world around us.
Start an intentional practice by utilizing one of these scales to self-assess your current gratitude level. Then, improve the practice from that baseline. Record the positive emotions that follow the intentional practice. Observe as things begin to shift in your wellbeing.
Thanks for reading!
We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Gratitude Exercises for free.
What our readers think
hello, Could anyone tell me what the GRAT-short form scoring means? Does it go something like, “Higher the score, higher is the gratitude?”
Hi Namrata,
Yes, that is correct. As you can also see here, you can also assess subscales, such as “Appreciation for Others (AO)”. This depends on your research question.
Kind regards,
Julia | Community Manager
Is it freely available for theis?
Hi Namrata,
which scale are you interested in using? In general, the tests are accessible to individuals engaged in research, hence you should be able to access them without any issues.
Hope this helps!
Kind regards,
Julia | Community Manager
Hi,
Thank you for your reply.
I want to use GRAT-Short Form for my master’s thesis. Can I use it without any copyright restriction if I properly cite the tool or I need to ask for permission? If yes where can I find the tool?
Hi again Namrata,
The scale is freely available to use and a copy of it with scoring information can be accessed here.
All the best with your master’s thesis!
Kind regards,
Julia | Community Manager
Thank you!
Thank you for the scale.
I’m a bit confused on the likert scale response. What will be in likert points 4 and 6 of the response? Could you provide me with the details of the 9-point likert scale response of GRAT-Short Form?
Hi Namrata,
Let me clarify this for you. These are the detailed points of the 9-point Likert scale:
1. I Strongly Disagree
2. I Disagree
3. I Somewhat Disagree
4. I Slightly Disagree
5. Neutral
6. I Slightly Agree
7. I Somewhat Agree
8. I Agree
9. I Strongly Agree
I hope this helps!
Kind regards,
Julia | Community Manager
I am so grateful for the knowledge you have share and the value I received.
Thank you.
Hi Kelly
May I get the gratitude questionnaire for my research work with validity and reliability? If so from where I will get it?
Thanks and regards
Tresa
Hi Tresa,
You’ll find information on their reliability and validity in the original paper by McCullough et al. (2002).
Hope this helps!
– Nicole | Community Manager
Madam ,
Can I have a scale to measure gratitude of nursing students
Hi Gertrude,
Thanks for your question. The GRAT Scale (Gratitude Resentment and Appreciation Test) has been tested on student populations and shown good validity and reliability. See more here. This could be a suitable scale for your research.
Kind regards,
-Caroline | Community Manager
Can we use GQ-6 for in research study?
Hi Shah,
Yes, this scale is freely available to use for research.
– Nicole | Community Manager
Happy to know about your work in Gratitude. Looking forward Kelly,
For more interactions regarding Gratitude.
Thanks & Regards
CHAKRA R.PRABAKARAN
Thank you Kelly!
Very concise and easy to understand!
Hi Ann Marie,
Glad you found this post helpful! Thanks for reading.
– Nicole | Community Manager
Yes, I was not surprised for the quiz results I got from level of gratitude. I know who I am and how I eventually grew up to be spiritual rather than religious, which I believe it ranged to the extreme at an earlier age in my life. Anyway thank you for the free quizzes. Kind regards.
Thank you for this. Pls. continue sharing and helping people. God bless.