Non-cognitive skills have attracted growing attention within the following historical context.

【The Perry Preschool Project】
The Perry Preschool Project was an educational program conducted in Michigan, USA in the 1960s, targeting low-income African American children [1]. The program's aim was to examine the effects of early education on academic achievement and social success. High-quality preschool education was provided to children aged 2 to 5, and their development was tracked through long-term follow-up studies. The results showed significant improvements among participants across a range of outcomes: higher high school graduation rates, increased employment, lower crime rates, and greater economic independence. Particularly significant was the finding that improvements in non-cognitive skills — including self-control, social ability, and perseverance — were what supported these long-term outcomes. This research strongly suggested that non-cognitive skills play an essential role in life success, and had a major influence on subsequent educational policy and research (Schweinhart, 2004) [1].

【OECD Initiatives】
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) has recognized the importance of non-cognitive skills internationally, and since 2015 has been advancing efforts to measure non-cognitive skills under the framework of "social and emotional skills" and to apply these findings to policy development (OECD, 2015) [2]. This reflects the growing recognition that developing abilities contributing to individual wellbeing and social participation — not just academic achievement — is essential.

【Ministry of Education Initiatives (Japan)】
In 2015, the Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee of Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology organized the competencies to be developed into three elements: "what students understand and can do (knowledge and skills)," "how students use what they understand and can do (thinking ability, judgment, and expression)," and "how students engage with society and the world to lead better lives (motivation to learn, humanity, etc.)" (Ministry of Education, 2015) [3]. Within this framework, particular emphasis was placed on the importance of developing non-cognitive skills — including emotional and behavioral regulation and perseverance — especially during early childhood.

In recent years, non-cognitive skills have attracted significant attention in business contexts as well, with active efforts underway to develop them in professional settings. For example, Google has reported success in improving team performance by enhancing psychological safety among employees. Non-cognitive skills such as social ability and empathy are considered to contribute substantially to this kind of psychological safety.

However, most existing non-cognitive skills scales have been designed for children and adolescents, and there is a recognized shortage of scales targeting adults — and working professionals in particular. This assessment was developed with the aim of filling that gap, by creating a scale specifically focused on non-cognitive skills in a business context.

Non-cognitive skills have been defined in prior research as follows.

Skills useful for achieving goals, cooperating with others, and managing emotions (OECD, 2015) [2]
Emotional and behavioral regulation, and perseverance (Ministry of Education, Japan, 2015) [3]
Motivation, the ability to execute long-term plans, and the social and emotional regulation necessary for collaboration with others (Heckman, 2013) [4]

These definitions are primarily framed around childhood and adolescence.
For this assessment, non-cognitive skills in a business context are defined as "the abilities that promote improved professional outcomes, smooth team collaboration, and social adaptation through emotional management, self-regulation, and interpersonal relationship building."

【Candidate Items and the KJ Method】
Question items related to the non-cognitive skills required in business settings were collected broadly through brainstorming, drawing on references from public institutions such as the OECD and Japan's Ministry of Education, as well as prior research (Okumura & Ikeda, 2020) [5]. The collected items were then classified and organized using the KJ method to construct a conceptual framework.

【Determination of Question Items】
Based on the results of the KJ method analysis, eight factors were established, and three question items were carefully selected for each factor.

＜Self-Efficacy＞
1. I believe I have produced results through my work.
2. I believe I am capable of achieving what I set out to do.
3. I believe that if I put in the effort, I can produce results.


＜Perseverance＞
4. I am able to persist through challenges and difficulties.
5. Even after failure, I am able to try again.
6. I keep working on long-term tasks without giving up.


＜Emotional Regulation＞
7. I am generally able to stay calm and composed.
8. I am able to handle pressure without becoming overwhelmed.
9. I have the ability to shift my emotional state when needed.


＜Social Skills＞
10. I actively engage in conversation with those around me.
11. I generally have no difficulty keeping a conversation going.
12. I tend to warm up to new people relatively quickly.


＜Cooperation＞
13. I am able to listen carefully to what others have to say.
14. I am able to collaborate smoothly with colleagues and business partners.
15. I am able to work through disagreements and differences of opinion.


＜Leadership＞
16. I am able to bring a group of people together and coordinate effectively.
17. I am able to encourage those around me and bring out their motivation.
18. I am able to play a central role within a team.


＜Problem-Solving＞
19. When a problem arises, I analyze its causes logically.
20. I am able to generate a wide range of solutions to a given problem.
21. I take action quickly to resolve problems.


＜Ethical Sense＞
22. I am able to acknowledge my mistakes and apologize for them.
23. When something goes wrong, I report it honestly rather than hiding it.
24. I uphold my ethical standards even when no one is watching.

【Scoring Method】
Number of questions: 8 factors × 3 questions each = 24 questions total
Response format: 5-point scale (scored as follows)
Strongly Disagree：0
Disagree：1
Neutral：2
Agree：3
Strongly Agree：4

【Evaluation Criteria per Factor】
Based on the score for each factor, the level of non-cognitive skill is evaluated across the following three levels.
High: 10 to 12 points
Moderate: 8 to 9 points
Low: 0 to 7 points

【Overall Evaluation Criteria】
Based on the total score across all question items, the overall level of non-cognitive skills is evaluated across the following four levels.
Non-Cognitive Skills — Excellent: 79 to 96 points
Non-Cognitive Skills — Good: 66 to 78 points
Non-Cognitive Skills — Fair: 53 to 65 points
Non-Cognitive Skills — Poor: 0 to 52 points

For each dimension, an evaluation of approximately 1,000 characters was prepared, covering key characteristics and points to be aware of. These descriptions are based on prior research and the clinical experience of the authors.

[1] Schweinhart, L. J. (2004). The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study Through Age 40. Retrieved from https://highscope.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/perry-preschool-summary-40.pdf
[2] OECD. (2015). Skills for Social Progress: The Power of Social and Emotional Skills. OECD Publishing.
[3] Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan. (2015). Material 1: Summary of Discussion Points, Curriculum Planning Special Committee. Retrieved from https://www.mext.go.jp/b_menu/shingi/chukyo/chukyo3/siryo/attach/1364306.htm
[4] Heckman, J. J. (2013). Giving Kids a Fair Chance. MIT Press.
[5] Okumura, S., & Ikeda, K. (2020). Examination of early childhood experiences associated with non-cognitive skills in university students. Bulletin of Tokyo University of Social Welfare, 10, 155–165. Retrieved from https://tokyo-fukushi.repo.nii.ac.jp/record/59/files/17_vol.10,p155-165,Okumura.pdf