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Authoritarianism Scale (F-Scale)3

Authoritarianism Scale (F-Scale) Test

In about six minutes, the Authoritarianism Scale (F-Scale) Test presents 28 statements about authority, conformity, punishment, suspicion, and views of human nature. Your profile highlights relative levels across several attitudes, offering a structured starting point for self-reflection about hierarchy, rigidity, tolerance, and power.

Questions: 286 minutes

Authoritarianism Scale (F-Scale) Test: situation and reply bubbles

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Sexual PreoccupationSP

This scale measures how strongly a person is preoccupied with sexual topics in their own life and in others'.

example score5/7

5/7Moderate focusexample score

1 – 2Low focus

3 – 5Moderate focus

6 – 7High focus

A score of 5 suggests a moderate preoccupation with sexual topics, indicating this area is a noticeable but not dominant focus.

ProjectivityP

Projectivity measures the tendency to attribute one’s own unacceptable impulses to others and to interpret people or situations as threatening.

example score3/7

3/7Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 5Moderate

6 – 7High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional suspicious interpretations of others without a consistently threatening view of the social environment.

Destructiveness And CynicismDAC

Measures the degree of hostile, cynical attitudes toward others and a tendency toward destructive or mistrustful interpretations of human nature.

example score3/7

3/7Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 5Moderate

6 – 7High

A score of 3 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting some skeptical or negative views of human nature but not a strongly cynical or destructive stance overall.

Superstition and StereotypySaS

Measures tendency toward superstitious or mystical beliefs, cognitive rigidity, and reliance on stereotypes.

example score5/7

5/7Moderateexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 5Moderate

6 – 7High

A score of 5 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme tendency toward rigid thinking and some reliance on superstitious or stereotyped beliefs.

Anti-IntraceptionAI

Measures the extent to which a person rejects subjective experience, imagination, and individuality in favor of strict rationalism and conformity.

example score2/7

2/7Lowexample score

1 – 3Low

4 – 5Moderate

6 – 7High

A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively little tendency to dismiss subjective or imaginative perspectives and less devaluation of individuality.

Authoritarian AggressionAA

Measures the tendency to endorse punitive, hostile responses toward people who violate conventional norms or hold dissenting views.

example score2/7

2/7Lowexample score

1 – 2Low

3 – 5Moderate

6 – 7High

A score of 2 falls in the Low range, suggesting relatively little inclination toward punishing or rejecting people with differing opinions.

Authoritarian SubmissionAS

Measures the tendency to obey authorities uncritically and prefer strong leadership and rigid hierarchy.

example score5/7

5/7Moderateexample score

1 – 3Low

4 – 5Moderate

6 – 7High

A score of 5 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme inclination toward deferring to authority and favoring clear hierarchical order.

ConventionalismC

Conventionalism measures adherence to traditional social norms and values, reflecting preference for established rules and customs.

example score3/7

3/7Moderate conventionalismexample score

1 – 2Low conventionalism

3 – 5Moderate conventionalism

6 – 7High conventionalism

A score of 3 suggests a moderate, situational preference for traditional norms rather than a strongly conservative orientation.

Overall IndexOI

This scale measures the overall intensity of authoritarian attitudes, including preference for strict hierarchy, conformity, and suppression of dissent.

example score166/196

166/196Highexample score

28 – 154Low

155 – 196High

A score of 166 falls in the High range, indicating a pronounced tendency toward authoritarian attitudes compared with the scale’s lower range.

Power ComplexPC

Measures the extent to which a person tends to think in terms of dominance and submission and identify with strong leaders.

example score5/7

5/7Moderateexample score

1 – 3Low

4 – 5Moderate

6 – 7High

A score of 5 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme tendency toward power-oriented, dominance-focused attitudes and alignment with strong leadership.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Politics and society learners

41%OF USERS

People curious about ideology and democracy take it to see how strongly they lean toward strict authority, hierarchy, and conformity.

Psychology students and researchers

34%OF USERS

Students and researchers use it as a historical benchmark to compare classic measures of authoritarian attitudes with modern frameworks.

Self-reflection and values seekers

25%OF USERS

People exploring their own beliefs take it to understand how they react to rules, tradition, dissent, and social norms.

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

Benchmarking

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

Concern about sexCas

You?

Average4.1

Typical rangeTypical3.2 – 5

Possible1 – 7

ProjectivityP

You?

Average3.6

Typical rangeTypical2.8 – 4.4

Possible1 – 7

Destructiveness and CynicismDaC

You?

Average2.9

Typical rangeTypical1.8 – 4

Possible1 – 7

Superstition and StereotypySaS

You?

Average2.7

Typical rangeTypical1.9 – 3.5

Possible1 – 7

Anti-introspectionA

You?

Average4.8

Typical rangeTypical3.7 – 5.9

Possible1 – 7

Authoritarian AggressionAA

You?

Average4.1

Typical rangeTypical3.4 – 4.9

Possible1 – 7

Authoritarian SubmissionAS

You?

Average4.7

Typical rangeTypical3.6 – 5.7

Possible1 – 7

ConventionalismC

You?

Average4.4

Typical rangeTypical3.3 – 5.5

Possible1 – 7

Integral IndicatorII

You?

Average134

Typical rangeTypical109.9 – 158.2

Possible28 – 196

"Power Complex""C

You?

Average2.5

Typical rangeTypical1.5 – 3.6

Possible1 – 7

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

We are seeking to determine what the public thinks and feels about a range of social issues. We believe that the questionnaire presented here will be of interest to you. It includes many social questions and problems that you may have already considered, read about in newspapers and magazines, or heard about in the media. This is not an intelligence test and not a test of factual knowledge. Responses are not classified as “right” or “wrong.” The best response is your personal opinion. Please read each statement carefully and select the response option that best reflects your reaction. There is no need to spend a long time on any one item. Answer each item accurately and carefully. Express your personal point of view. Do not discuss the items with others until you have finished.

- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Not sure
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Completely disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Not sure
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Completely agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Not sure
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 28 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Authoritarianism Scale (F-Scale) Test - Description and methodology of the test

social attitudes

People who want to examine their attitudes toward authority, conformity, punishment, and social difference may find the Authoritarianism Scale (F-Scale) Test useful. As an authoritarianism scale, it organizes responses into a profile, helping readers notice patterns involving hierarchy, suspicion, conventionality, aggression, imagination, and tolerance. The result offers a structured basis for more deliberate self-reflection and discussion of personal assumptions.

What This Assessment Explores

The F-Scale questionnaire covers attitudes:

Sexual Preoccupation (1-7) measures sexuality: Low focus 1-2/Moderate focus 3-5/High focus 6-7; Projectivity (1-7) measures suspicion: Low 1-2/Moderate 3-5/High 6-7.
Destructiveness And Cynicism (1-7) measures hostility: Low 1-2/Moderate 3-5/High 6-7; Superstition and Stereotypy (1-7) measures rigidity: Low 1-2/Moderate 3-5/High 6-7.
Anti-Intraception (1-7) measures fantasy suppression: Low 1-3/Moderate 4-5/High 6-7; Authoritarian Aggression (1-7) measures punishment: Low 1-2/Moderate 3-5/High 6-7.
Authoritarian Submission (1-7) measures obedience: Low 1-3/Moderate 4-5/High 6-7; Conventionalism (1-7) measures traditionalism: Low conventionalism 1-2/Moderate conventionalism 3-5/High conventionalism 6-7.
Power Complex (1-7) measures dominance: Low 1-3/Moderate 4-5/High 6-7; Overall Index (28-196) reflects authoritarianism: Low 28-154/High 155-196.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Responses use a seven-point agreement format, moving from strong disagreement through uncertainty to strong agreement. The statements cover authority and leadership, conventional morality, punishment of dissent, sexuality, supernatural or conspiratorial beliefs, hostility, and emotional or imaginative restraint. The options vary slightly, including unsure and cannot say, but retain a graded self-report task.

The closest conceptual reference is California F Scale (Adorno et al., 1950), developed within the study of authoritarian attitudes. Messick and Jackson (1958) examined measurement issues, while Christie and Jahoda (1954) discussed continuity and method; Meloen (1993) reviewed later F-Scale research. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with that tradition, not a documented restandardization or direct adaptation of those publications.

For this F-Scale assessment, interpretation is directional: higher values indicate stronger endorsement of the tendency named by a scale, and the overall index indicates authoritarian orientation at higher levels. The profile uses bands rather than population norms. Self-report answers can reflect current context, self-presentation, and limited self-awareness, while historical F-scale research includes debates about wording, validity, and cultural interpretation; scores therefore need cautious, contextual reading.

Author: Daniel J. Levinson, Else Frenkel-Brunswik, R. Nevitt Sanford, Theodor W. Adorno

Literature:

Adorno, Theodor W., Else Frenkel-Brunswik, Daniel J. Levinson, and R. Nevitt Sanford. The Authoritarian Personality. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1950.
Messick, Samuel, and Douglas N. Jackson. "The Measurement of Authoritarian Attitudes." Educational and Psychological Measurement 18, no. 2 (1958): 241-253. 10.1177/001316445801800202
Christie, Richard, and Marie Jahoda, eds. Studies in the Scope and Method of "The Authoritarian Personality": Continuities in Social Research. Glencoe, IL: Free Press, 1954.
Meloen, Jos D. "The F Scale as a Predictor of Fascism: An Overview of 40 Years of Authoritarianism Research." In Strength and Weakness: The Authoritarian Personality Today, edited by William F. Stone, Gerda Lederer, and Richard Christie, 47-69. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1993. 10.1007/978-1-4613-9180-7_3

Updated: 2025-10-02