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Scant instrumentation currently exists to reliably and validly measure character in the
sport context. Since the early 1970's, various empirical studies have been conducted to
measure one's character in the sport context and to answer the old adage, "Does Sport
Build Character (Coakley, 1994; Kleiber & Roberts, 1981; McCormack & Chalip, 1988;
Ogilvie & Tutko, 1971; Rees, Howell, & Miracle, 1990; Sage, 1988, 1998; Stevenson,
1975; 1985) ?" Overall, research methodologies and instrumentation have received
surrounding criticism from those who have studied character development in sport
(Bredemeier & Shields, 1995; Gough, 1995; McCormack & Chalip, 1988; Sage, 1988,
1998; Stevenson, 1975, 1985). Despite the numerous criticisms and skepticism towards the measurement of character in the sport context, there is one particular instrument called the Hahm-Beller Values Choice Inventory (HBVCI) that has shown to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring character in the sport context. The HBVCI, created in 1989, by Chung Hae Hahm, Jennifer M. Beller, and Sharon Kay Stoll has tested over 30,000 subjects and has been strongly supported by a myriad of studies and publications. However, the HBVCI is centered around the moral values of honesty, justice, and responsibility and is underpinned by the concept of moral character and deontological ethics. Therefore, the HBVCI has not fully escaped criticism as a result of possibly limiting the definition of character. Various Sport Sociologists, Sport Philosophers, and Moral Psychologists, such as, (Bredemeier & Shields, 1995; Gough , 1995; Kleiber & Roberts, 1981; Sage, 1988, 1998; Stevenson, 1975, 1985) would argue that the word "character" can also connote certain social values such as teamwork, loyalty, self-sacrifice, courage, and perseverance. These social values are deeply rooted in the history of sport and character development, in which our country has a history of espousing these aforementioned social values for the sustaining of a strong corporate and capitalistic America (Bredemeier & Shields, 1995; Coakley, 1994; O' Hanlon, 1980; Sage, 1988, 1998; Stoll & Beller, 1998). As a result, individuals who use the HBVCI to measure character are erred in their assumptions. The purpose of the HBVCI is not to measure character. It's purpose is the measurement of moral reasoning in the sport context. Perhaps there are two types of character: moral character and social character. In light of the concern that the word "character" may be expansive in meaning, and that athletes may not possess or learn both moral and social character in the sport milieu, a new dimension was added to the HBVCI and thus, a new instrument was created called the RSBH Value Judgment Inventory. Ten questions/scenarios were carefully selected from the HBVCI to create the moral character index, and 10 new questions/scenarios involving the social values of teamwork, loyalty, and self-sacrifice in the sport context were created (see Design of RSBH Value Judgment Inventory).
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