Behavioral, Emotional, and Social Skills Inventory.

BESSI

What it measures

Social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) SKILLS, framed as learnable capacities distinct from personality traits. 5 skill domains (Self-Management, Social Engagement, Cooperation, Emotional Resilience, Innovation) over 32 skill facets, of which 4 are interstitial (half weight on two domains) and 3 are compound (Adaptability, Capacity for Independence, Self-Reflection Skill; in no domain score).

Length and format

192 (32 facet scales of 6 items); observer-report form identical in content. 5-pt skill-inventory rating (1 Not at all well to 5 Extremely well); no reverse-keyed items (self-report questionnaire)

Language versions

Official self-report forms in German (BESSI-G), Italian (BESSI-I), Spanish (BESSI-Sp) and Chinese, for all four form lengths; further translations underway. No BCMS adaptation as of 2026-08-01.

Normative data

Normative data for this instrument is held in our reference library. The per-population breakdown is not published here.

Licence

open with attribution

Licence classification is a research judgement by the catalogue’s authors, not legal advice, and it can be out of date. Confirm terms with the copyright holder or publisher before using an instrument, especially for commercial use.

Reference

Soto, C. J., Napolitano, C. M., Sewell, M. N., Yoon, H. J., & Roberts, B. W. (2022). An integrative framework for conceptualizing and assessing social, emotional, and behavioral skills: The BESSI. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 123(1), 192-222. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000401

https://doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000401