One of the core ideas behind Calyssa is that journaling isn’t just about expressing, it’s about understanding. The deeper your self-reflection, the more clarity you gain. And that clarity insight is what actually leads to growth.
Turns out, there’s a well-validated psychological model that captures exactly this. It’s called the Self‑Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). We came across this while working with our cognitive behavioral therapist advisor, and it’s had a big influence on how we’re designing Calyssa.
What is the SRIS?
Developed by Grant, Franklin & Langford (2002), the SRIS breaks personal reflection into two measurable skills:
Self‑Reflection: your tendency to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with curiosity (not anxiety). It’s cognitively driven, not emotional spiraling.
Insight: your ability to understand why you think or feel the way you do, the ability to connect the dots in your internal experience.
These two are tightly linked. Reflection is the process. Insight is the outcome.
Sample statements from the SRIS:
Self-Reflection items:
“I frequently examine my feelings.”
“It is important for me to understand how my thoughts arise.”
“I often take time to reflect on my thoughts.”
Insight items:
“I usually know why I feel the way I do.”
“I usually have a very clear idea about why I’ve behaved in a certain way.”
“I often don’t quite know what I really feel.” (reverse-scored)
Research shows that:
High self-reflection scores correlate with increased curiosity and emotional awareness.
High insight scores correlate with reduced anxiety and stronger self-regulation.
How Calyssa builds on this:
Calyssa isn’t just a journal—it’s a framework for strengthening these exact abilities.
We use SRIS-informed design to guide prompts that encourage meaningful reflection, not just data entry.
We’re building an insight engine that highlights patterns in your writing, moods, themes, shifts over time—helping you see what you might not catch in the moment.
We’re integrating a feedback loop, where you can actually track how your self-reflection and insight evolve over time—turning personal growth into something you can visualize.
And of course, it’s all encrypted and private. Your thoughts stay yours.
Why this matters:
Anyone can write things down. But to actually understand yourself, that’s the real power of journaling. Calyssa is being built to help you do that better, with tools grounded in real psychology.
We’re still early, but this is the north star. If you’re curious about the SRIS model or how we’re applying it, let’s talk. And if you want to try the beta and shape what this becomes, we’d love your input.
bryanherediax•7mo ago
Turns out, there’s a well-validated psychological model that captures exactly this. It’s called the Self‑Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS). We came across this while working with our cognitive behavioral therapist advisor, and it’s had a big influence on how we’re designing Calyssa.
What is the SRIS?
Developed by Grant, Franklin & Langford (2002), the SRIS breaks personal reflection into two measurable skills:
Self‑Reflection: your tendency to explore your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors with curiosity (not anxiety). It’s cognitively driven, not emotional spiraling.
Insight: your ability to understand why you think or feel the way you do, the ability to connect the dots in your internal experience.
These two are tightly linked. Reflection is the process. Insight is the outcome.
Sample statements from the SRIS:
Self-Reflection items:
“I frequently examine my feelings.”
“It is important for me to understand how my thoughts arise.”
“I often take time to reflect on my thoughts.”
Insight items:
“I usually know why I feel the way I do.”
“I usually have a very clear idea about why I’ve behaved in a certain way.”
“I often don’t quite know what I really feel.” (reverse-scored)
Research shows that:
High self-reflection scores correlate with increased curiosity and emotional awareness.
High insight scores correlate with reduced anxiety and stronger self-regulation.
How Calyssa builds on this:
Calyssa isn’t just a journal—it’s a framework for strengthening these exact abilities.
We use SRIS-informed design to guide prompts that encourage meaningful reflection, not just data entry.
We’re building an insight engine that highlights patterns in your writing, moods, themes, shifts over time—helping you see what you might not catch in the moment.
We’re integrating a feedback loop, where you can actually track how your self-reflection and insight evolve over time—turning personal growth into something you can visualize.
And of course, it’s all encrypted and private. Your thoughts stay yours.
Why this matters:
Anyone can write things down. But to actually understand yourself, that’s the real power of journaling. Calyssa is being built to help you do that better, with tools grounded in real psychology.
We’re still early, but this is the north star. If you’re curious about the SRIS model or how we’re applying it, let’s talk. And if you want to try the beta and shape what this becomes, we’d love your input.