Measuring the Manasika Prakrti of the Children by the Parent Rating Scale

Abstract

Background: Inventories to asses guna personality have been developed and validated for adults. However, are not based on Ayurveda concepts. The objective of the study was to develop and standardize an inventory to assess the Manasika prakrti of the children according to Ayurveda. Methods: The 70-item Ayurveda guna inventory for children (AGIC) was developed on the basis of the translation of Sanskrit verses describing Sattva (A), Rajas (B), and Tamas prakrti (C) characteristics and by taking the opinions of experts (ten Ayurveda experts and three psychologists). The scale was tested out in Maxwell Public School, Bangalore. The scale was administered on parents of children of the age group 6–12 years. Results: The AGIC was associated with excellent internal consistency. The Cronbach’s alpha for the A-, B-, and C-scales was 0.80, 0.55, and 0.56, respectively. Moreover, the split-half reliability was 0.79, 0.56, and 0.64, respectively. Factor validity coefficient scores on each item were above 0.5 on the Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas scale. Conclusions: The Manasika prakrti (trigunas) of the children can be measured reliably by this instrument.

Keywords

• manasika prakrti
• rajas
• sattva
• tamas