Thought Literacy General Assessment

This is a general assessment to help you understand your current level of thought literacy, including how effectively you notice, manage, and apply your thoughts in everyday life. There are no right or wrong answers. Be honest for the most useful insights.

Section 1: Thought Awareness

Notice and understand your thinking patterns.

Instructions: Rate how often each statement applies to you.

Statement	Never	Sometimes	Often	Always
I notice my thoughts as they happen.
I understand how my thoughts influence my feelings.
I can see patterns in how I think in different situations.
I recognize thoughts that trigger strong emotions or reactions.
I am aware of how my environment affects my thinking.

Section 2: Thought Management

Use awareness to guide your thinking intentionally.

Statement	Never	Sometimes	Often	Always
I separate myself from unhelpful thoughts instead of reacting automatically
I take action to change or redirect thoughts when they are unhelpful
I practice choosing which thoughts to focus on
I reflect on how my thoughts have led to certain results and consider what thoughts would have been more helpful
I evaluate how changing thought patterns will impact my goals or behavior

Section 3: Situational Application

Choose the response that best reflects your approach.

Scenario 1: You feel anxious before a big presentation. You…

1. Ignore the feeling and hope it goes away
2. Notice the anxiety but focus on distracting yourself rather than understanding the thought behind it
3. Identify the thought causing anxiety and reframe it to focus on preparation and capability
4. Acknowledge the thought, pause to explore why it arose, take a deep breath, and intentionally choose a constructive mindset for the presentation

Scenario 2: A friend criticizes your work. You…

1. Immediately feel defensive and justify yourself
2. Notice your defensive reaction but respond habitually
3. Recognize the thought behind your reaction and respond thoughtfully
4. Observe the thought, understand the underlying driver, regulate emotions, and respond calmly and constructively

Scenario 3: You notice negative self-talk about your personal goals.

1. Ignore it and continue as usual
2. Recognize the self-talk is unhelpful but still let it impact your behavior
3. Apply a modeled thought swap or ICE Method step to guide a productive mindset
4. Notice the thought, reflect on its origin, regulate your response, and consciously integrate adaptive thinking into your plan

Scoring / Reflection

• Sections 1 & 2. Never = 1, Sometimes = 2, Often = 3, Always = 4
  • Awareness Level: Add up your choices in Section 1. Higher scores indicate stronger awareness of thoughts.
  • Management Level: Add up your choices in Section 2. Higher scores indicate stronger ability to manage and respond to thoughts.
• Section 3. Situational Application
  • 1 – Minimal thought literacy: You notice little or react automatically
  • 2 – Partial thought literacy: You recognize thoughts but they still influence you strongly
  • 3 – Applied thought literacy: You notice and take action to guide your thinking
  • 4 – Deep thought literacy: You pause, reflect on underlying thoughts, regulate your response, and intentionally integrate helpful thinking

Next Steps:

Use tools from Thought Literacy to strengthen weaker areas:

• Five Drivers – learn what’s shaping your thoughts
• Thought Modeling – see examples of helpful ways to think
• ICE Method – reframe and integrate better thinking into everyday life