Assess psychological traits with a full sphere of descriptive adjectives
Harrison G. Gough & Alfred B. Heilbrun, Jr.
Manual
License to Use
Translations
Personal Report
Multirater Personal Report
- About the ACL
- ACL for Research
- ACL Assessment Scales (brief)
- Full ACL Standard Scales
- Uses of the ACL
The Adjective Checklist (ACL) consists of 300 adjectives and adjectival phrases commonly used to describe a person’s attributes. It may be administered to an individual to elicit a self-evaluation or a characterization of someone else; or it may be used by observers in a clinic, counseling center, research laboratory, or in marketing research as a convenient, standardized method for recording and generating meaning of personal attributes of clients, research subjects, products, or even cultures.
The ACL is unique in that the number of items checked is unspecified so that adjectives selected are ones that are salient for the person being evaluated. The variation in endorsement is itself viewed as a personality variable. In addition to a score on number of items checked, there are twenty-three other scales, on all of which the standard scores are adjusted according to the items that are endorsed; this adjustment removes the influence of acquiescence from the twenty-three measures. Administration time varies from ten to fifteen minutes.
Features of the ACL
- Measures thirty-seven traits and the salience of 300 adjectives
- Is flexible and multidimensional
- Available as both self rating and, soon to be, as a multi-rater
- Valid across cultures and includes a number of translations
- Easy to administer, requires ten to fifteen minutes to complete
- Extensively researched and validated
- See more about research and uses of the ACL
Manual
- You need a Manual if...
Paper by |
Digital download (PDF) |
||
Includes non-reproducible instrument and scoring key, both marked “non-reproducible copy” |
 |
$40.00 |  |
License to Use - purchasing options
-Note: ACL scoring is included in the Manual, not in the Reproduction License.
- You need a License to Reproduce/Administer if...
- You need Mind Garden's Online Survey if...
- Translations
| License to Reproduce/Administer | Mind Garden's Online Survey |
||||
Number of |
Paper by |
Digital download (PDF) |
MindGarden's Transform system for data collection and scoring |
||
| 50 | |
$100.00 | |
$120.00 |  |
| 100 | |
$110.00 | |
$132.00 | |
| 150 | |
$135.00 | |
$162.00 | |
| 200 | |
$160.00 | |
$192.00 | |
| 250 | |
$200.00 | |
$240.00 | |
| 300 | |
$228.00 | |
$274.00 | |
| 350 | |
$252.00 | |
$302.00 | |
| 400 | |
$288.00 | |
$346.00 | |
| 450 | |
$324.00 | |
$389.00 | |
| 500 | |
$360.00 | |
$432.00 | |
For pricing for larger quantities, please click here |
|||||
Standard Form Personal Reports
Let us do the administration for you. We will send you a link to a unique and secure online "control panel"
where you will enter clients names and email addresses. Clients will be sent an email with a secure
url address to take the evaluation* in privacy at their convenience. You can monitor their progress
from your control panel. Instruments will be scored and a report returned to you. The standard profile includes
the thirty-seven scales, standard scores and scale descriptions as well as the items checked. Select the desired number of
reports from the drop-down menu.
* click here for web-browser compatibility information
 |
The following volume pricing applies: | |
| Individual report | $15.00 each |
| 2-10 reports | $14.00 each |
| 11-20 reports | $13.00 each |
| 21-50 reports | $12.00 each |
| 51-100 reports | $11.00 each |
For larger quantities, please contact us | |
See a sample report(PDF)
The ACL Success Factors at Work Multirater Report
The Success Factors at Work report presents results on 30 distinct scales of the Adjective Check List (ACL) instrument. Each of the scales is assigned to one of 6 Work Success Factors, that is, collections of characteristics, skills, and competencies which over time have proven to be central and important to success at work. The 6 Work Success Factors presented in the report are:
- Managing Self
- Thinking and Deciding
- Getting Things Done
- Managing Work
- Working with People
- Leading People
When you select adjectives to describe yourself using the 300 possible adjectives of the ACL, it enables us to compute percentile scores for each of the 30 ACL scales with regard to your self-perception. Your self-perception percentile scores in the report indicate your ACL scale score compared to those in the ACL normative database. In turn, aggregating your various ACL scale scores within the various Success Factors above, allows us to gauge how you view your own performance with regard to competencies that are valued in the world of work.
In addition to this, you will ask a number of individuals with whom you work to similarly choose from among the 300 ACL adjectives to describe the breadth and depth of their interactions with you. Again, we present percentile scores of their perceptions of your performance, aggregated to the same 6 Work Success Factors.
Examining this rater data will vastly expand your understanding of your performance. You will be able to consider and compare your personal evaluations of strengths and style against the perceptions of others. Sometimes, your self-perception will closely match how others see you. At other times, your view of how you are performing will be at odds with the opinions of others. It is essential to your personal development and professional growth that you understand and act upon these differences.
 |
||
Each Report is $50. Add to Cart your desired number of reports. If you need to order more than 100 Reports, the quantity can be adjusted on the shopping cart screen . |
||
See a sample report(PDF)
Assessment Scales
The ACL offers a full sphere of psychological trait assessments. The Adjective Check List Standard Scales are (see full scale descriptions here):
Modus operandi
- Number Checked
- Favorable
- Unfavorable
- Communality
Need scales
- Achievement
- Dominance
- Endurance
- Order
- Intraception
- Nurturance
- Affiliation
- Heterosexuality
- Exhibition
- Autonomy
- Aggression
- Change
- Succorance
- Abasement
- Deference
Topical scales
- Counseling Readiness
- Self-Control
- Self-Confidence
- Personal Adjustment
- Ideal Self
- Creative Personality
- Military Leader
- Masculine
- Feminine
Transactional Analysis scales
- Critical Parent
- Nurturing Parent
- Adult
- Free Child
- Adapted Child
Origence-intellectence scales
- High Origence-Low Intellectence
- High Origence-High Intellectence
- Low Origence-Low Intellectence
- Low Origence-High Intellectence
Example Items
Directions: These pages contain a list of 300 adjectives. Please read through them quickly and check each one you would consider to be self-descriptive. Do not worry about duplications, contradictions, and so forth. Work quickly and do not spend too much time on any one adjective. Try to be frank, and check the adjectives which describe you as you really are, not as you would like to be. Be sure to continue through adjective number 300. |
|||||
| 1. | absent-minded | 69. | distrustful | 137. | irresponsible |
| 2. | active | 70. | dominant | 138. | irritable |
| 3. | adaptable | 71. | dreamy | 139. | jolly |
| 4. | adventurous | 72. | dull | 140. | kind |
The ACL - Research & Uses 
The California Q-Sort for Adults & Children