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Differential Indifference Questionnaire3

Differential Indifference Questionnaire Test

Understand how indifference shows up for you and why in about 2 minutes. Fast, 9-item results clarify internal, external, or adaptive patterns to guide support and relationship work.

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Questions: 92 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

21,261 view

1,878 completions

1,555 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

5/18

Internal (I)

Measures inward-directed indifference marked by reduced motivation, personal meaning, and engagement with one’s own experiences.

Low

Moderate

High

3 – 5: Low | 6 – 10: Moderate | 11 – 18: High

A score of 5 falls in the Low range, suggesting minimal signs of inward withdrawal and reduced personal meaning or drive in daily activity.

example score

10/18

External (E)

Measures the tendency to show emotional detachment and disinterest toward other people and the outside world, sometimes as a protective stance.

Low

Moderate

High

3 – 7: Low | 8 – 12: Moderate | 13 – 18: High

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable but not extreme tendency to appear detached or impartial in external interactions.

example score

11/18

Accommodative Indifference (AI)

Measures the extent to which indifference functions as an adaptive disengagement that leads to reduced persistence and a more careless attitude toward tasks and goals.

Low

Moderate

High

3 – 5: Low | 6 – 11: Moderate | 12 – 18: High

A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable tendency to disengage from goals or tasks under pressure while still maintaining some capacity to persist when needed.

example score

48/54

General Indifference (GI)

Measures the overall intensity of indifference as a stable tendency across activities and social interactions.

Low

Moderate

High

9 – 19: Low | 20 – 31: Moderate | 32 – 54: High

A score of 48 falls in the High range, suggesting a pronounced tendency toward reduced motivation and emotional involvement across everyday roles and relationships.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Therapy and coaching clients

41%OF USERS

People who feel emotionally detached, unmotivated, or “numb” and want to understand whether the indifference is internal, external, or a coping response.

Psychologists and counselors

34%OF USERS

Practitioners who need a quick, structured snapshot of a client’s indifference pattern to guide assessment and choose support strategies.

Stress and crisis groups

25%OF USERS

Individuals going through burnout, grief, high stress, or major life changes who want to see if indifference is an adaptive response to overwhelm.

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.

Internal (I)

Average

8.4

Normal range

5.9 — 11

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.

External (E)

Average

13.5

Normal range

11.6 — 15.3

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.

Accommodative (A)

Average

13.4

Normal range

11.1 — 15.7

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.

General indifference (Gi)

Average

27.2

Normal range

21.3 — 33

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

Below is a series of statements describing a person’s attitudes toward themself, other people, and their own life. Please indicate the extent to which each statement describes you. Work quickly and avoid spending too much time thinking about any one item, as the first response that comes to mind is typically the most accurate. Please note that this questionnaire is not intended to assess intelligence; therefore, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers. The primary goal is for your responses to reflect your experience as accurately as possible.

- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Completely disagree
- Disagree
- Rather disagree
- Rather agree
- Agree
- Completely agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 9 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

Differential Indifference Questionnaire Test - Symptoms and Signs

apathy

Indifference is often conceptualized as a multidimensional construct with implications for motivation and interpersonal functioning. The Differential Indifference Questionnaire is a brief self-report measure designed to characterize individual differences in how indifference is experienced and expressed. It contains 9 items and typically takes about 2 minutes to complete.

The measure is commonly described as differentiating internal, external, and accommodative forms of indifference, supporting clinically oriented hypothesis generation and research screening when a rapid index of this construct is needed. Developed by C. Daniel Batson, the Differential Indifference Questionnaire is not a stand-alone diagnostic tool and should be interpreted in the context of presenting concerns, clinical interview findings, and other relevant measures.

Author: C. Daniel Batson

Literature: DeVellis, R. F. Scale development: Theory and applications. SAGE Publications. 2017.