1 · What is being measured
Goodness is the alignment of intent, action and impact toward the well-being of others. The Goodness Index™ measures it through five foundations, each scored on its own: Integrity, Responsibility, Compassion, Respect and Stewardship. The Index is designed to work at several levels: a person, an organisation and a society.
The personal instrument is the Goodness Score™. It asks what people actually did, not what they believe about themselves, because goodness is practised, not declared.
2 · The question bank
The bank holds 70 questions, 14 for each foundation, of three kinds:
| Kind | Per foundation | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Yes / no, with follow-ups | 9 | Asks what the person actually did. "Yes" leads to how often or what they did; "No" leads to why, or what they would do. |
| Situations | 3 | A real-life situation with four possible responses. |
| Habits | 2 | A statement rated from Never to Almost always. Some are reverse-scored. |
First check: 15 questions: two yes/no and one situation per foundation. Return check: 40 questions: five yes/no, two situations and one habit per foundation, drawn mostly from questions the person has not seen before.
3 · Personalised wording
Each person gives their age group, profession and whether they live in a rural, semi-rural or urban area. An AI service may then reword a question so the situation fits their life. It changes words only: the number of answers, their order and their points stay exactly as in the reviewed question. Every reworded version is stored, one per question and type of person, so it can be read and reviewed. AI never decides a score.
4 · Scoring
- Each question is worth 0 to 3 points under a fixed rubric, so the same answers always give the same score.
- What a person actually did counts for more than what they say they would do: answers about what they would do earn at most 2.5.
- Habit statements score 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 or 3, reversed where the statement describes a lapse.
- A question that does not apply to someone's life is left out, not counted against them.
- Foundation score = points earned ÷ points possible for that foundation × 100.
- Goodness Score™ = all points earned ÷ all points possible × 100.
| Score | Growth stage |
|---|---|
| 0–39 | Seed |
| 40–59 | Sprout |
| 60–74 | Sapling |
| 75–89 | Tree |
| 90–100 | Banyan |
5 · Known limits
- Wanting to look good. Questions about actual behaviour reduce, but do not remove, the pull towards the flattering answer. Privacy is the main defence.
- Language. A question that works in English may not carry the same meaning in Hindi or other languages. Testing across languages is still to come.
- Gaming. Once a score carries consequences, people will try to raise it without changing. The Goodness Score is a mirror for personal use and must not be used to rank or select people.
- Prediction. The Index has not yet been shown to predict behaviour over time, and no such claim is made here.
- Review. The question bank and rubric are under review by the Institute; this paper will be updated when that review is complete.
6 · How to cite
Institute of Goodness (2026). The Goodness Index™ and the Goodness Score™: what is measured, the question bank and scoring. Methodology paper, version 1.0 (draft). instituteofgoodness.org/goodness-index-methodology.html
