Resilience Assessment
Personal Resilience Scale
Informed by Resilience Research
Explore how you handle adversity, adapt to change, and recover from setbacks.
Understanding Resilience Research
From the Research
"The same qualities that help children survive and adapt in high-risk environments — social competence, problem-solving skills, autonomy, and a sense of purpose — appear consistently across resilience studies."
— Werner, E. E., & Smith, R. S. (1992). Overcoming the Odds: High-Risk Children from Birth to Adulthood. Cornell University Press.
Six decades of research
Resilience research began with Emmy Werner's landmark Kauai Longitudinal Study in the 1950s, tracking vulnerable children who thrived despite adversity. Since then, researchers including Michael Rutter, Ann Masten, George Bonanno, and Suniya Luthar have established that resilience is not a fixed trait but a dynamic process involving adaptability, social support, emotional regulation, and meaning-making. This assessment draws on that collective body of work.
Key foundational studies
- Werner & Smith (1982, 1992) — The Kauai study identified protective factors in children who thrived despite poverty, family instability, and perinatal stress
- Rutter (1987) — Established resilience as an interactive process between risk and protective factors, not an inherent personality trait
- Masten (2001) — Described resilience as "ordinary magic" — the product of basic human adaptational systems rather than rare or extraordinary qualities
- Bonanno (2004) — Demonstrated that resilience following loss and trauma is more common than previously assumed, and distinct from recovery
- Luthar, Cicchetti & Becker (2000) — Clarified that resilience is multidimensional and context-dependent, varying across life domains
Based on the resilience literature, we organized this assessment around four recurring domains that appear across multiple research traditions:
Adaptive Coping
Flexibility under stress, resourcefulness when routines break down, and the ability to find new approaches when the first one fails
Perseverance & Self-Belief
Persistence toward goals, confidence in one's own judgment, and the belief that effort leads to outcomes
Emotional Steadiness
Tolerance of discomfort, ability to sit with difficult emotions without being overwhelmed, and recovery from negative mood
Purpose & Growth
Sense of meaning, belief that hardship can lead to growth, and connection to something beyond day-to-day concerns
How We Built This Assessment
We reviewed the resilience literature — spanning developmental, clinical, and positive psychology — and identified four domains that appear consistently across research traditions. Here's how we turned that into an assessment:
We studied foundational resilience research from Werner, Rutter, Masten, Bonanno, and others to identify the most consistently supported resilience dimensions.
We organized the construct into four domains: adaptive coping, perseverance and self-belief, emotional steadiness, and purpose and growth.
We wrote 22 original items across these domains, using a 6-point agreement scale to capture nuance in how people experience resilience.
Scores range from 22 to 132, with interpretation bands based on the distribution of responses and the research literature on resilience levels in general populations.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The CD-RISC is a commercially licensed instrument requiring a paid agreement for any use. Our Personal Resilience Scale is an independently written 22-item assessment with original items, a 6-point response scale (vs the CD-RISC's 5-point 0-4 scale), and our own scoring thresholds. We measure four resilience domains drawn from the broader research literature, not the CD-RISC's specific factor structure. We are not affiliated with Connor, Davidson, or cd-risc.com.
Several instruments measure resilience from different angles. The CD-RISC (25 items) focuses on hardiness and coping. The Wagnild-Young Resilience Scale (RS-25) measures five trait dimensions. The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS, 6 items) captures bounce-back ability specifically. Our assessment covers four domains — adaptability, perseverance, emotional regulation, and purpose — drawn from decades of resilience research by Werner, Rutter, Masten, and Bonanno. We also offer a Resilience Traits Test and Bounce Back Resilience Test on this site.
About This Assessment
This tool is designed for personal insight and educational purposes. Here's what you should know:
This assessment is informed by the broader resilience research literature, including work by Werner, Rutter, Masten, Bonanno, and others. All 22 items were written independently to cover four resilience domains identified across multiple research traditions. The items, scoring, and interpretation are our own.
This is a self-reflection tool, not a clinical assessment. A low score does not diagnose any condition. If you're experiencing significant distress, please consult a qualified healthcare provider.
This is not the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and is not affiliated with or endorsed by its authors. The CD-RISC is a separately developed and licensed instrument; for clinical or research use, visit cd-risc.com.