World Assumptions Scale (WAS) Test

Understand how trauma or depression may be shaping your core beliefs in about 7 minutes. 37 items deliver clear, targeted insights to guide therapy and track change.

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Questions: 377 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

22,803 views

2,758 completions

2,212 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

7/10

Benevolence of the World (BotW)

Measures the degree to which a person believes the world and other people are generally kind, fair, and safe.

Low trust

Moderate trust

High trust

0 – 4: Low trust | 5 – 7: Moderate trust | 8 – 10: High trust

A score of 7 suggests a moderately trusting view of the world, with an overall sense of benevolence and safety that may still feel somewhat conditional in certain situations.

example score

8/10

Justice (J)

Measures the extent to which a person believes that the world is fair and that outcomes generally align with what people deserve.

Low belief in justice

Moderate belief in justice

High belief in justice

0 – 4: Low belief in justice | 5 – 7: Moderate belief in justice | 8 – 10: High belief in justice

A score of 8 indicates a strong tendency to view events as governed by fair principles and to expect that people generally get what they deserve.

example score

6/10

Self-Image (SI)

This scale measures how positively and confidently a person perceives their own worth and capabilities.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 3: Low | 4 – 7: Moderate | 8 – 10: High

A score of 6 suggests a generally stable self-image with some room for stronger self-confidence and self-acceptance.

example score

4/10

Luck (L)

Measures how strongly a person believes that luck and favorable circumstances tend to be on their side.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 3: Low | 4 – 7: Moderate | 8 – 10: High

A score of 4 indicates a moderate sense of being lucky, suggesting a mixed or situational expectation of favorable outcomes rather than a consistently optimistic view.

example score

5/10

Control Beliefs (CB)

Measures how strongly a person believes they can influence and manage events in their own life (sense of control).

Low control

Moderate control

High control

0 – 4: Low control | 5 – 7: Moderate control | 8 – 10: High control

A score of 5 suggests a moderate sense of control, indicating some confidence in influencing outcomes alongside situations that may still feel outside one’s control.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Recovering after trauma

41%OF USERS

People who have gone through a traumatic event and want to understand how it has changed their trust, safety, and view of themselves and the world.

Depression and burnout seekers

34%OF USERS

Those experiencing depression, emotional numbness, or burnout who want to pinpoint negative core beliefs that may be keeping them stuck.

Clients starting therapy

25%OF USERS

People beginning counseling who want a quick, structured snapshot of their basic beliefs to help set clear therapy goals.

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.

The Benevolence of the World (TBotW)

Average

Normal range

3.5 — 6.4

min.

max.

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.

Justice (J)

Average

2.8

Normal range

1.1 — 4.4

min.

max.

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.

The "Self" Image (T"I)

Average

5.1

Normal range

3.2 — 7

min.

max.

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.

Luck (L)

Average

6.6

Normal range

5.1 — 8.1

min.

max.

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.

Beliefs about control (Bac)

Average

4.5

Normal range

3.2 — 5.9

min.

max.

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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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Generally agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 37 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

World Assumptions Scale (WAS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

depression

irrational beliefs

cbt

ptsd

This self-report measure is designed to evaluate core assumptions about the self, other people, and the world that may shift following significant stress. The World Assumptions Scale (WAS) can be used to support clinical formulation by identifying areas of disrupted or negatively biased beliefs.

The questionnaire includes 37 items and typically requires about 7 minutes to complete. Respondents indicate their level of agreement with a series of statements, yielding a profile of foundational beliefs that may inform treatment planning, monitoring of change, and discussion in therapy.

Interpretation of the World Assumptions Scale (WAS) should consider the individual’s clinical context and be integrated with interview findings and other assessment data; it is not intended to be used as a stand-alone diagnostic tool.

Author: Ronnie Janoff-Bulman

Literature: Janoff-Bulman, R. Shattered assumptions: Towards a new psychology of trauma. Free Press. 1992.; Dovidio, J. F., Gaertner, S. L., & Kawakami, K. Intergroup bias and the regulation of intergroup contact. In T. D. Nelson (Ed.), Handbook of prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination. Psychology Press. 2009.