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This manuscript presents the Personal Growth Initiative construct and describes the development and initial validation of the Personal Growth Initiative Scale.
An important goal of counseling is for clients to learn the process of personal growth so that they will be able to transfer this process to all aspects of their lives (Patterson & Welfel, 1994). Humanists support this view when they speak of "the good life" (Rogers, 1961) or self-actualization (Maslow, 1970) as a way of approaching life rather than only as an outcome. This view, however, is not unique to humanists. Ego psychologists address this issue by highlighting the individual's continued growth throughout the life span (Erickson, 1950). Adlerian theorists discuss the healthy personality as one that is consistently striving to attain some ideal. The salient aspect is engagement in the process of striving rather than reaching the ideal (Prochaska & Norcross, 1994). Rational emotive therapists teach people to dispute their irrational thoughts so that they can continue to grow and be happy in their lives (Corsini & Wedding, 1989). These theories share the idea that continued personal growth throughout the life span is important for the healthy individual.
Personal growth can be stimulated by developmental, environmental, or intentional processes (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1986). In the developmental domain, growth or change typically occurs without the knowledge or awareness of the individual. For example, a child develops a more complex form of moral reasoning without being aware that this is occurring. When prompted by environmental factors, personal growth can occur with the individual's awareness but despite the individual's resistance to this growth. People who have recently been widowed might be aware that increased self-sufficiency will be a result of this situation but might be resistant to this change because they view it as a betrayal of their deceased spouse. Finally, when personal growth is due to intentional processes, the individual is fully aware that change is occurring and is actively and willingly involved in the process. For example, people who are dissatisfied with their vocational choice might actively engage in self-exploration to find a better fit within the world of work.
It is this last situation, in which the individual is fully aware of and intentionally engaged in the process of growth, that...