Quantitative assessment of thriving

We review methodological issues related to the quantitative assessment of thriving with interviews and paper-and-pencil scales. We emphasize two new paper-and-pencil measures of thriving, the Stress-Related Growth Scale (SRGS; Park, Cohen, & Murch, 1996) and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996). These scales are designed to assess perceived benefits that result from a specific stressor: Research with the SRGS suggests a unidimensional structure of thriving, whereas research with the PTGI suggests a multidimensional structure. Two possible reasons for this inconsistent finding concern differences in the method of participant selection and in the recall period for the reporting of stressful events. In addition, we present a number of strategies to validate self-report measures of thriving, including corroboration from significant others and the use of control groups. We conclude with a brief discussion of the assessment of thriving at the group and community levels.