Drama Triangle Questionnaire Test
How the Scales are Structured
Who Usually Takes This Test?
See How You Compare
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.
Example Questions From the Test
- Almost never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Almost always
- Almost never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Almost always
- Almost never
- Sometimes
- Often
- Almost always
Drama Triangle Questionnaire Test - Description and methodology of the test
People who notice excessive responsibility for others’ emotions, difficulty naming their needs, or fear of rejection may use the Drama Triangle Questionnaire Test to examine beliefs that keep these reactions in place. Intended for personal exploration, it can help readers recognize recurring assumptions in relationships rather than focusing on one isolated conflict. The questionnaire organizes reflection on responsibility in the Drama Triangle.
What This Assessment Explores
Items probe beliefs about blame, subordinating personal needs, approval, rejection, emotional awareness, help, and relational status. Beliefs about the Victim role may support adopting that role, but they do not define a fixed personality label.
The themes are:
- Responsibility shows whether others’ anger is readily treated as your fault.
- Needs and agency show whether direct requests, decisions, or mistakes feel unsafe.
- Approval and boundaries show whether closeness, help, and self-worth depend on others’ reactions.
The single displayed scale is Beliefs (30-120). Lower victim-supporting beliefs are 30-50; Moderate victim-supporting beliefs are 51-80; and High victim-supporting beliefs are 81-120. Higher scores indicate a predominance of beliefs associated with reduced personal responsibility and viewing oneself as a victim of circumstances; these beliefs may hinder self-reflection and acceptance of responsibility.
Methodology and Scientific Basis
The questionnaire contains 30 self-report statements answered on a four-point scale from Almost never to Almost always. Items address recurring interpretations and reactions. The questionnaire displays the result in one of the three bands.
Conceptually, the framework begins with Karpman’s Drama Triangle model, which describes shifting Victim, Rescuer, and Persecutor roles in interpersonal scripts. Karpman’s later work develops the model’s movement toward more responsible interaction. Lac and Donaldson’s Drama Triangle Scale was later developed and validated as a measure of the three roles. This questionnaire is conceptually consistent with these sources, not an adaptation or validation of that published instrument.
Considering each statement can help a person reflect on Drama Triangle beliefs and responses, making diffuse concerns more specific. Current mood, relationship circumstances, self-awareness, and socially desirable responding may influence results. Read the bands as prompts for examining beliefs and responsibility, not as a diagnosis or complete account of interpersonal functioning.
- Karpman, Stephen B. (1968). Fairy Tales and Script Drama Analysis. Transactional Analysis Bulletin, 7(26), 39-43.
- Lac, Andrew, and Candice D. Donaldson (2022). Development and Validation of the Drama Triangle Scale: Are You a Victim, Rescuer, or Persecutor? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(7-8), NP4057-NP4081. 10.1177/0886260520957696
- Karpman, Stephen B. (2014). A Game Free Life: The Definitive Book on the Drama Triangle and the Compassion Triangle. Drama Triangle Productions. ISBN 978-0-9905867-0-8
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