ADVERSITY

QUOTIENT
Presented by: Mrs. Karen F. Capapas
Adversity
• Challenges (big or small) that
confront us each day
• Syn. Misfortune, difficulties
• An adverse event that is
undesirable, unfavorable, or
unintended outcome
 Adversity Quotient

Measures a person’s ability to

prevail in face of adversity, thereby
allowing him/her to meet his goals

Synonymous with coping skills, hardiness

and resilience (ability to bounce back
from adverse situations)
Dr. Paul Stoltz
• Dr. Stoltz received his B.S. in
Organizational Communication and
Economics from the University of
California. He earned his Master’s and
Ph.D. in Organizational
Communication, Development, and
Leadership from the University of
Minnesota.
• Dr. Paul Stoltz is the originator of
Adversity Quotient® (AQ®) and the
world’s leading expert on the subject.
• He founded PEAK Learning® in 1987
and now works with top leaders and
thinkers worldwide
Do you want to know what
your AQ is?
A few reminders:
• This is not an exam 
• There is no right or wrong
answer
• Your first spontaneous response
is the best
The Adversity Response Profile
Quick Take
• Instructions:
• Vividly imagine the following events as if they were happening
right now. (you may even imagine what will happen as a
result.
• Circle the numbers that represent your answer to the question
below each situation.
• Example:
• Situation: You realize that you have lost your cellphone.
• “Oh no! I’ll never be able to afford a new phone. My father
will be upset when he finds out about it.”
• To what extent can you influence this situation?
• Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 completely
1) You suffer a financial setback.
To what extent can you influence this situation?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Completely
2) You are overlooked for a promotion.
To what extent do you feel responsible for improving this situation?
Not responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Completely responsible
3) You are criticized for a big project that you just completed.
The consequences of this situation will:
Affect all aspects 1 2 3 4 5 Be limited to this situation
of my life
4) You accidentally delete a very important E-mail.
The consequences of this situation will:
Last forever 1 2 3 4 5 Quickly pass
5) The high-priority project you are working on gets canceled.
The consequences of this situation will:
Affect all aspects 1 2 3 4 5 Be limited to this situation
of my life
11) Your workplace is understaffed.
To what extent do you feel responsible for improving this situation?
Not responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Completely responsible
12) You miss an important appointment.
The consequences of this situation will:
Affect all aspects 1 2 3 4 5 Be limited to this
situation
of my life
13) Your personal and work obligations are out of balance.
To what extent can you influence this situation?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Completely
14) You never seem to have enough money.
The consequences of this situation will?
Last forever 1 2 3 4 5 Quickly pass
15) You are not exercising regularly when you know you should
be.
To what extent can you influence this situation?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Completely
 16) Your organization is not meeting its project goals.
To what extent do you feel responsible for improving this situation?
Not responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Completely responsible
17) Your computer crashed for the third time this week.
To what extent can you influence this situation?
Not at all 1 2 3 4 5 Completely
18) The meeting you are in is a total waste of time.
To what extent do you feel responsible for improving this situation?
Not responsible 1 2 3 4 5 Completely responsible
19) You lost something that is important to you.
The consequences of this situation will:
Last forever 1 2 3 4 5 Quickly pass
20) Your boss adamantly disagrees with your decision.
The consequences of this situation will:
Affect all aspects 1 2 3 4 5 Be limited to this situation
• of my life
The Adversity Response Profile (ARP) was developed by Paul G. Stoltz, the originator of the Adversity Quotient (AQ) and Peak
Learning (www.peaklearning.com).
HOW TO SCORE?
How to interpret?
• High AQ (178-200)
• If you score in this range, you are among
the elite who routinely face and overcome
adversities of all magnitudes. Setbacks are
likely to be short-lived and contained.
• You probably demonstrate strong
accountability for dealing with difficult
situations and are an agile problem solver.
• You can further fine-tune your AQ and use
your abilities to coach and guide others.
• Moderately High AQ (161-177): If you AQ falls in this
range, you are already more effective than most people
at dealing with difficulties and setbacks. You probably
remain resilient and persevere when faced with most
challenges. There may be moments when adversity piles
up and becomes more of a burden than is necessary. By
strengthening your AQ, you will become even more agile
and able to take on greater challenges.
• Moderate AQ (135-160): The majority of people fall in
this range. If you have a moderate AQ, this suggests that
you probably fare well with many difficulties. However,
when adversities mount and you become fatigued, they
may wear you down unnecessarily. You may at times
become demoralized or overwhelmed. As you strengthen
your AQ, you will discover newfound strength and
fortitude in dealing with all sorts of challenges.
• Moderately Low AQ (118-134): If you score in this
range, you may handle some setbacks relatively
well. However, as your world becomes increasingly
complex, chaotic, and challenging, you may be
suffering unnecessarily. You can reduce the toll
adversity takes and strengthen your resilience by
raising your AQ.
• Low AQ (117 and below): If you have a low AQ, do
not despair! It simply explains why life can seem
so overwhelming and difficult at times. It also
provides you with a firm starting point. As your AQ
increases you will experience the most dramatic
results in how you view, respond to, and
experience challenges in your work and life.
BENEFITS OF IMPROVING
ONE’S AQ

How will an improved AQ be beneficial to you?

Can we still improve our AQ?

How?

Self-mastery is the first step

 understanding one’s self
 The CO2RE Dimensions of AQ
• C – Control – How much control do you
have over the adversity?
• O2 – Origin & Ownership – Who or what
is the origin of the adversity? What part
do I have in the adverse situation?
• R – Reach – How far will the adversity
reach to other aspects of my life?
• E – Endurance – How long will the
adversity last?
Subscale Range
CONTROL over
adversities
• With perceived control,
hope and actions are
turned into reality
• More possibility to take
positive actions
• Low control results in
learned helplessness
Origin & Ownership
• Those with lower AQ scores tend
to blame themselves
• Higher scores tend to properly
place responsibility, and
therefore also have high self-
worth
• Low AQ blame oneself for bad
events; high AQ learn from
adversities to become better and
smarter.
Reach – evaluating how
adversity gets into the areas of
one’s life
• Low AQ response allow adversity to
affect other aspect of one’s life
leading to panic, sleeplessness,
bitterness, distancing self from
others and poor decision making
• High R-score limits the reach of the
problem to the event at hand.
• A failed relationship, although
painful is not a sign that life is falling
apart or has to end
Endurance

• People who see their ability as the

cause of failure (stable cause) are less
likely to continue than people who
attribute failure to their effort (a
temporary cause)
In other words….
• “People who respond to adversity as
temporary, external and limited have
optimistic explanatory styles and tend
to enjoy life’s benefits.”

3 kinds of employees according to Stoltz

• Climbers
• Campers
• quitters
IMPROVE YOUR RESPONSE TO
ADVERSITY

LEAD