The Proactive Attitude Scale (PA Scale)
by © Ralf Schwarzer, 1997, revised 1.1.99.

1. I spend time to identify long-range goals for myself.
2. I feel in charge to make things happen.
3. I feel responsible for my own life.
4. I feel driven by my personal values.
5. I usually wait for something to happen rather than taking the initiative myself. (-)
6. I am driven by a sense of purpose.
7. I am able to choose my own actions.
8. I often feel like I am being "programmed" instead of being the "programmer" myself. (-)
9. There are abundant opportunities that await me.

Scoring of revised version:

Reverse items 5 and 8. Sum up all values according to this response format yielding a possible range from 9 to 36 points:

          Not at all      Hardly    Somewhat     Exactly
                True          True         True            True
                    1            2                3                4

The present English 9-Item-Version has been tested with 244 Canadian college students. The mean was 28.92 and the standard deviation was 4.09. Internal consistency æ=.79. Test items should be scattered throughout the entire questionnaire.

Previous 15-Item Version (no longer recommended):

1. I spend time to identify long-range goals for myself.
2. I feel pushed by other people. (-)
3. I feel in charge to make things happen.
4. I feel responsible for my own life.
5. I feel driven by circumstances and acted upon. (-)
6. I feel driven by my personal values.
7. My current problems are caused by the wrong choices that I have made in the past.
8. I usually wait for something to happen rather than taking the initiative myself. (-)
9. It makes me comfortable to know that others always take care of me. (-)
10. I am driven by a sense of purpose.
11. Others’ behaviors are limiting my effectiveness. (-)
12. I am able to choose my own actions.
13. I focus my efforts at things that I can control.
14. I often feel like I am being "programmed" instead of being the "programmer" myself. (-)
15. There are abundant opportunities that await me.

Scoring of the 15-Item-Version:

Reverse items 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 14. Sum up all values according to this response format yielding a possible range from 15 to 60 points:

          Not at all      Hardly    Somewhat     Exactly
                True          True         True            True
                    1            2                3                4

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Designed by Ralf Schwarzer. Last Update: December 16, 1997.