Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) Test

Understand what drives your sport effort in 6 minutes, from inner enjoyment to external pressure to burnout risk. Get clear insights coaches can use to shape training, incentives, and mindset fast.

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Questions: 286 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

14,878 views

1,023 completions

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Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

54/100

Professional Sport Motivation Assessment (PSMA)

Assesses the overall strength and structure of an athlete’s motivation for professional sports, including intrinsic, extrinsic, and amotivation components.

Low motivation

Moderate motivation

High motivation

0 – 33: Low motivation | 34 – 66: Moderate motivation | 67 – 100: High motivation

A score of 54 indicates a moderate overall motivational profile, suggesting generally present drivers for training and competition with some variability in internal versus external motives.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Competitive athletes in-season

41%OF USERS

They take it to understand what drives their training and performance right now and why motivation shifts across the season.

Coaches and team staff

34%OF USERS

They use it to spot whether athletes respond best to internal goals, external incentives, or need support to prevent burnout.

Sports psychologists and researchers

25%OF USERS

They administer it for screening and tracking motivation patterns to guide interventions and evaluate training programs.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
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Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

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You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

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You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

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Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

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Clarify, reflect, and explore your results right away. Talk through your experience, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue.

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Used in 52+ countries

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See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Assessment of motives in professional sports, SMS (AomipsS)

Average

42.7

Normal range

30.2 — 55.2

min.

max.

100

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures reasons for sport participation across intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation. It describes the relative strength of these motives at the time of completion.

How should items be answered?

Select the response that best matches the immediate, typical reason for training or competing. Answer quickly and avoid overthinking individual items.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion typically takes about 6 minutes. The questionnaire contains 28 items.

How are results interpreted?

Scores are reported for intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation. Higher scores indicate stronger endorsement of that motive compared with the other domains.

Can the results be used to guide training or psychological support?

Results can inform decisions about goal setting, feedback, and workload by identifying primary motivational drivers. Findings should be interpreted alongside performance data and clinical or coaching judgment.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Assessment of Motivations in Professional Sports, SMS Test

Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

self-determination sport sports motivation

This measure assesses self-reported reasons for sport participation and training engagement. The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) is commonly used to profile motivational regulation patterns consistent with self-determination theory.

It provides indices reflecting intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation, which may be helpful for understanding engagement, persistence, and perceived meaning in sport contexts. The questionnaire contains 28 items and typically takes about 6 minutes to complete.

Results from the Sport Motivation Scale (SMS) are generally interpreted as relative elevations across these motivational domains and are best considered alongside clinical interview or coaching context. It is intended for use in sport psychology, applied settings, and research where a brief, structured appraisal of motivational orientation is needed.

Author: edward-l-deci, richard-m-ryan

Literature: Roberts, G. C. Advances in motivation in sport and exercise. Human Kinetics. 2001.; Pelletier, L. G., Fortier, M. S., Vallerand, R. J., Tuson, K. M., Brière, N. M., & Blais, M. R. Toward a new measure of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation in sports: The Sport Motivation Scale (SMS). Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. 1995.

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