Early Decision Categories Test

Uncover childhood-based beliefs that still shape your choices in about 32 minutes. With 174 items, it quickly surfaces hidden patterns and gives clear starting points for focused change.

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Questions: 17432 minutes

Hi! My name is Freudly, i am an AI therapist, I will give you an interpretation of the test after you complete it.

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

17,068 views

1,400 completions

1,162 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

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How the Scales are Structured

example score

39/100

Early Decision Categories (EDC)

Measures the degree to which a person tends to rely on limiting early-life decisions (injunction-based attitudes) that can shape adult behavior and life scripts.

Low

Moderate

High

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

A score of 39 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not dominant influence of early decision patterns on current attitudes and behavior.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Stuck in repeating patterns

41%OF USERS

Adults who notice the same relationship, work, or self-sabotage cycles and want to understand which childhood beliefs keep triggering them.

Therapy starters and returners

34%OF USERS

People beginning therapy (or coming back to it) who want a clear starting point for discussing family messages, boundaries, and autonomy.

Helping professionals and students

25%OF USERS

Psychologists, counselors, and psychology students who use structured questionnaires to quickly spot likely injunctions and plan focused work.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

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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.

Categories of early decisions (Coed)

Average

41.2

Normal range

23.7 — 58.6

min.

max.

100

Majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It screens for internalized childhood injunctions and related beliefs that may guide adult choices automatically. Results are used to identify script-like patterns that can limit autonomy and flexibility.

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

Estimated completion time is 32 minutes. The questionnaire contains 174 items.

How should items be answered?

Answer each item based on typical reactions and long-standing beliefs rather than a single recent event. Use the full range of response options when available and avoid leaving items blank.

How are results used in practice?

Scores indicate which injunction themes are most prominent and may be affecting current behavior. Findings are typically reviewed alongside interview or clinical context rather than used as a standalone diagnosis.

Who developed this version?

This questionnaire is an adaptation of S. V. Maksimova’s 2006 methodology. Online attributions to other authors may be incorrect.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Early Decision Categories Test - Symptoms and Signs

drivers prescriptions transactional analysis

This measure is designed to identify recurring early-formed belief patterns that may influence adult decision-making and interpersonal functioning. Early Decision Categories is presented as a structured self-report inventory intended to elicit internalized rules or prohibitions associated with childhood learning (Jerome Kagan). It contains 174 items and typically requires about 32 minutes to complete.

Results are generally used to support case formulation by highlighting themes that may be clinically relevant for psychotherapy or counseling, particularly when exploring longstanding cognitive-emotional schemas and habitual coping styles. Early Decision Categories is not a stand-alone diagnostic tool and should be interpreted in the context of clinical interview data, presenting concerns, and other assessment findings.

Author: Jerome Kagan

Literature: Sternberg, R. J. Creativity as a decision. American Psychologist. 2002.

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