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Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS)3

Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS) Test

Understand your tendency toward cynicism, negativity, and vigilance in about 5 minutes. Get a quick, reliable read on conflict risk and hidden hostility to support healthier relationships and decisions.

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Questions: 275 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

26,124 views

1,470 completions

1,244 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

12/30

Hostility (H)

Measures the degree of internal tension and hostile attitudes such as cynicism, negativism, and vigilance toward others.

Low

Average

High

6 – 10: Low | 11 – 17: Average | 18 – 30: High

A score of 12 falls in the Average range, suggesting generally balanced emotional tone with occasional negative or wary reactions toward others.

example score

38/54

Aggressiveness (A)

Assesses the tendency to express aggression in behavior and interpersonal interactions, including irritability and conflict-proneness.

Low

Moderate

High

9 – 15: Low | 16 – 29: Moderate | 30 – 54: High

A score of 38 falls in the High range, suggesting a more pronounced tendency toward irritability and conflict in interpersonal situations.

example score

51/78

Cynicism (C)

Measures the degree of distrustful, suspicious, and negatively biased expectations about other people’s intentions.

Low cynicism

Moderate cynicism

High cynicism

13 – 39: Low cynicism | 40 – 65: Moderate cynicism | 66 – 78: High cynicism

A score of 51 falls in the moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not pervasive tendency toward skepticism and cautious expectations in social interactions.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People in relationship strain

41%OF USERS

They take it to understand whether cynicism, distrust, or irritability is fueling recurring conflicts with partners, friends, or family.

Therapy and clinic clients

34%OF USERS

They use it in psychological assessment to quickly flag hostile attitudes that may intensify stress, anxiety, or interpersonal problems.

HR and high-stakes teams

25%OF USERS

They take it during screening or development to identify potential conflict risks and improve communication in demanding workplaces.

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.

Hostility Scale (HS)

Average

22.9

Normal range

18.6 — 27.2

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.

Aggressiveness Scale (AS)

Average

21.6

Normal range

14.8 — 28.5

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.

Cynicism Scale (CS)

Average

34.5

Normal range

25.3 — 43.7

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.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

Please read the statements in this questionnaire carefully. If you consider a statement to be true and consistent with your view of yourself and other people, indicate the extent to which you agree with it using the response scale provided.

- Usually
- Often
- Sometimes
- Occasionally
- Rarely
- Never
- Usually
- Often
- Sometimes
- By chance
- Rarely
- Never
- Usually
- Often
- Sometimes
- By chance
- Rarely
- Never

These are 3 of the 27 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

Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS) Test - Symptoms and Signs

hostility

This measure evaluates a person’s tendency toward hostile attitudes and interpersonal mistrust. The Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS) is commonly used to characterize cognitive-affective styles such as cynicism, negativism, and suspiciousness. Originally developed by D. M. Medley and W. W. Cook, it is administered as a brief self-report questionnaire.

The current form includes 27 items and typically requires about 5 minutes to complete. Results are generally interpreted as an index of hostility-related dispositions that may be clinically relevant to anger expression, interpersonal conflict, and stress-related functioning. The Cook-Medley Hostility Scale (CMHS) should be used as one component of a broader assessment, with attention to response style and the individual’s cultural and contextual factors.

Author: D. M. Medley, W. W. Cook

Literature: Susan T. Fiske. Social beings: core motives in social psychology. Wiley. 2010.; Jerry M. Suls, Andrew J. Christensen. Handbook of health psychology. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 2001.; Cook, W. W., & Medley, D. M. Proposed hostility and Pharisaic-virtue scales for the MMPI. Journal of Applied Psychology. 1954.; Barefoot, J. C., Dodge, K. A., Peterson, B. L., Dahlstrom, W. G., & Williams, R. B., Jr. The Cook-Medley hostility scale: item content and ability to predict survival. Psychosomatic Medicine. 1989.