Introduction
The Whole Person Development Inventory (WPDI) is the first psychological assessment tool developed to measure whole development of tertiary students in a Chinese context.
Age range: 17 - 25
Administration time: 10 - 15 minutes
Number of items: 111
Number of WPD factors: 15
Language: Chinese, English
Format: Online eWPDI system for administration and reporting
Existing norm:
Hong Kong Norm: Gender specific college norm (N = 8327)
Northern Taiwan Norm: Gender specific college norm (N=1251)
| Domain | Factor |
| Intellectual | Intellectual Capacity |
| Physical | Health Maintenance Physical Fitness |
| Professional | Career Preparation Leadership |
| Psychological | Emotional Health Self Appreciation |
| Social | Civic Responsibility Community Care Cultural Engagement Family Relationship Peer Relationship |
| Spiritual | Art Appreciation Moral Commitment Spiritual Quest |
In 2009, the Office of Student Affairs and professors from Faculty of Social Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, worked collaboratively to develop the “Whole Person Development Inventory” (WPDI) to measure the different aspects of whole person development of tertiary students in Hong Kong. The inventory takes into account of Hong Kong Chinese culture and relevance of globalization for whole person development, and was the first localized WPD assessment tool. Through scientific analysis and validation over years, this inventory was finalized in 2013.
The WPDI is a self-report instrument emphasizing on the measurement of “capacity”. Capacity refers to attitude, performance, and potential. “Attitude” indicates the degree of concern; “performance” and “potential” represent the level of practice and competence.
The WPDI has 111 items and the factor analysis yielded 15 factors that are grouped into six domains, i.e. intellectual, physical, professional, psychological, social and spiritual development. It is a norm-referenced inventory. Students are asked to use a 6-point Likert type scale to indicate the degree of agreement with each statement from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree.
WPDI Research Team
Dr. Eddie Ho (Former Director of Student Affairs, Office of Student Affairs, HKBU)
Prof. Petrus Ng (Head and Professor, Department of Social Work, HKBU)
Dr. Dennis Chan (Senior Lecturer, Department of Education Studies, HKBU)
Dr. Gina Lai (Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, HKBU)
Dr. Susan Su (Lecturer, Department of Social Work, HKBU)
Mrs. Vivien Chan (Former Associate Director of Student Affairs and Head of Counselling and Development Centre, Office of Student Affairs,HKBU)
Ms. Heidi Leung (Former Senior Psychological Counselor, Office of Student Affairs, HKBU)
Ms. Vicki Kwan (Psychological Counselor, Office of Student Affairs, HKBU)
Ms. Wendy Cheung (Assistant Director of Student Affairs and Head of Counselling and Development Centre, Office of Student Affairs, HKBU)
Ms. Chloe LI (Assessment and Evaluation Officer, Office of Student Affairs, HKBU)
“Whole Person Development” enhances the capacity to nourish “Graduate Attributes”
Whole Person Education, the mission of HKBU, provided ample opportunities for students to develop themselves as a whole person and to nourish their Graduate Attributes. WPDI is a useful assessment tool for assessing students’ community engagement and co-curricular or extra-curricular activities. If students can holistically enhance the different aspects of their “Whole Person Development”, they will have stronger capacities to equip themselves to become an individual with “Graduate Attributes”.