Autonomy Questionnaire Test

With 12 questions and a completion time of about 3 minutes, the Autonomy Questionnaire Test helps you reflect on how independently you think, feel, decide, and act. Your result highlights patterns across emotional, values, behavioral, and cognitive areas, offering a clearer profile for personal self-reflection.

Questions: 123 minutes

Autonomy Questionnaire Test: sample question card

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

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2,097 completions

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Daniel Hall Psychologist · Test reviewer

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

Value AutonomyVA

Value autonomy measures how independently a teenager forms and maintains personal beliefs, motivations, and principles rather than adopting them from external pressure.

example score11/15

11/15Moderateexample score

3 – 7Low

8 – 11Moderate

12 – 15High

A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting the person generally relies on their own values but may still be influenced by others in certain situations.

Behavioral AutonomyBA

Behavioral autonomy reflects how independently a teenager acts and maintains independence in their behavior despite external pressure.

example score7/15

7/15Lowexample score

3 – 7Low

8 – 11Moderate

12 – 15High

A score of 7 falls in the Low range, suggesting the teen may more often rely on others’ influence when making everyday behavioral choices.

Cognitive AutonomyCA

Cognitive autonomy measures how independently a teenager thinks and makes decisions based on their own judgments.

example score10/15

10/15Moderateexample score

3 – 7Low

8 – 11Moderate

12 – 15High

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting generally independent thinking with some reliance on others' views in certain situations.

Emotional AutonomyEA

Measures how independently a person regulates and expresses emotions without relying heavily on others’ opinions or emotional cues.

example score11/15

11/15Moderateexample score

3 – 7Low

8 – 11Moderate

12 – 15High

A score of 11 indicates a moderate level of emotional autonomy, suggesting generally independent emotion regulation with some sensitivity to others’ influence.

Overall Level of AutonomyOLoA

Measures overall independence in making decisions and acting across life domains without excessive influence from others.

example score19/60

19/60Low autonomyexample score

12 – 27Low autonomy

28 – 44Moderate autonomy

45 – 60High autonomy

A score of 19 falls in the Low autonomy range, suggesting a generally lower level of independent decision-making and greater reliance on others' influence.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Parents of teenagers

41%OF USERS

They want to understand how independently their teen thinks, feels, and makes decisions, especially during conflicts or big life choices.

School psychologists and counselors

34%OF USERS

They use it to quickly identify areas where a student struggles with autonomy and to plan counseling or prevention work.

Teens seeking independence

25%OF USERS

They take it to see how much peer or family pressure affects them and which type of autonomy needs strengthening.

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

Value AutonomyVA

You?

Average7.2

Typical rangeTypical5.6 – 8.9

Possible3 – 15

Behavioral AutonomyBA

You?

Average11.7

Typical rangeTypical10 – 13.4

Possible3 – 15

Cognitive AutonomyCA

You?

Average7.9

Typical rangeTypical5.8 – 10

Possible3 – 15

Emotional AutonomyEA

You?

Average8.6

Typical rangeTypical7 – 10.2

Possible3 – 15

Overall level of autonomyOloa

You?

Average37.5

Typical rangeTypical31.4 – 43.6

Possible12 – 60

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Please read each item in the questionnaire and answer as honestly as possible the question: “How characteristic or true is this of you?” Select your response using the scale provided.

- Completely untrue
- Somewhat untrue
- Neutral
- Somewhat true
- Completely true
- Completely untrue
- Mostly untrue
- Neutral
- Mostly true
- Completely true
- Completely untrue
- Somewhat untrue
- Neutral
- Somewhat true
- Completely true

These are 3 of the 12 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

Autonomy Questionnaire Test - Description and methodology of the test

autonomy

People who want to understand where they rely on their own judgment can use the Autonomy Questionnaire Test as a structured self-reflection exercise. This autonomy assessment asks a practical question: when do I make choices from my own values, and when do other people's expectations shape my response? The result supports a more focused reflection on personal independence.

What This Assessment Explores

The items connect autonomy with ordinary experiences: naming feelings, absorbing others’ emotions, holding a different opinion, planning time, choosing friends, completing difficult tasks, and deciding from personal judgment. As an autonomy questionnaire, it shows whether independence is expressed mainly through emotions, principles, action, thought, or the combined profile.

The displayed scales are:

Emotional Autonomy (3-15) measures free emotional expression and dependence on others: Low 3-7; Moderate 8-11; High 12-15.
Value Autonomy (3-15) measures independent beliefs, motivations, values, and principles: Low 3-7; Moderate 8-11; High 12-15.
Behavioral Autonomy (3-15) measures independent action: Low 3-7; Moderate 8-11; High 12-15.
Cognitive Autonomy (3-15) measures independent thinking and judgment-based decisions: Low 3-7; Moderate 8-11; High 12-15.
Overall Level of Autonomy (12-60) reflects independence across life domains: Low autonomy 12-27; Moderate autonomy 28-44; High autonomy 45-60.

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Five ordered responses indicate whether each statement is true or fits, with a neutral midpoint; anchor wording varies between somewhat, mostly, and not at all true. Respondents rate how well each statement describes them. Four domain results appear alongside an overall autonomy level, with descriptive result bands; no norm-referenced scoring basis or standardized cutoffs are specified.

The evidence base is conceptually consistent with the autonomy study by Karabanova and Poskrebysheva, which organizes personal autonomy around emotional, value, behavioral, and cognitive independence. It also fits Deci and Ryan’s self-determination framework, where autonomous functioning involves acting with personal endorsement rather than external pressure. This conceptual relationship does not show that the online questionnaire is a direct reproduction or validated adaptation of either source.

Together, the autonomy profile can reveal uneven patterns: someone may act independently while remaining influenced in emotions or opinions. Interpret results in light of current relationships, mood, confidence, and self-awareness, since self-report answers can shift with context. The bands are descriptive rather than diagnostic and work best as prompts for reflection, not fixed judgments about personality.

Author: Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan

Literature:

Olga A. Karabanova and Nataliya N. Poskrebysheva (2013). Adolescent Autonomy in Parent-child Relations. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 86, 621-628. 10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.08.624
Nataliya N. Poskrebysheva and Olga A. Karabanova (2014). Developmental approach to the study of adolescent personal autonomy. National Psychological Journal, 1, 74-85. 10.11621/npj.2014.0108
Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan (2000). The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of Behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227-268. 10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

Updated: 2025-10-02