Development and validation of the solution-focused inventory

Authors

Anthony M. Grant, University of Sydney
Michael J. Cavanagh, University of Sydney
Sabina Kleitman, University of Sydney
Gordon B. Spence, University of WollongongFollow
Michaela Lakota, University of Sydney
Nickolas Yu, University of SydneyFollow

RIS ID

59810

Publication Details

Grant, A. M., Cavanagh, M. J., Kleitman, S., Spence, G. B., Lakota, M. & Yu, N. (2012). Development and validation of the solution-focused inventory. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 7 (4), 334-348.

Abstract

Solution-focused coaching and solution-focused therapy are strengths-based approaches which emphasize people's resources and resilience and how these can be used in the pursuit of purposeful, positive change. The Solution-focused Inventory (SFI) is a 12-item scale with three subscales: Problem Disengagement, Goal Orientation and Resource Activation. Three studies in this article provide support for the validity of the SFI as a measure of solution-focused thinking. The SFI negatively correlated with psychopathology and positively correlated with measures of well-being, resilience and perspective taking. Test-retest reliability over 16 weeks was 0.84. Cronbach's alpha for the 12-item scale was 0.84. It also demonstrates sensitivity to purposeful change in that participation in a leadership development coaching intervention was associated with significantly increased scores on the SFI, whilst scores for the control group did not change.