Emotional State Scale Test

In 2 minutes, get a clear picture of a child’s mood, anxiety, and activity changes. Eight quick items support observation-based tracking and help flag when follow-up care may be needed.

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Questions: 82 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

16162 views

972 completions

722 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

-2/1

Anxiety and Fear (AaF)

Measures observed anxiety level and the presence of fears in the child’s emotional state.

Low anxiety

Elevated anxiety

-4 – -1: Low anxiety | 0 – 1: Elevated anxiety

A score of -2 falls in the Low anxiety range, suggesting relative calmness and confidence with minimal observed fearfulness.

example score

-2/1

Facial Expressiveness (FE)

Assesses the intensity and variety of the child's facial expressions during observation.

Limited expressiveness

Typical expressiveness

Vivid expressiveness

-4 – -1: Limited expressiveness | 0: Typical expressiveness | 1: Vivid expressiveness

A score of -2 falls in the limited expressiveness range, suggesting facial expressions are relatively scarce or muted during observation.

example score

-1/1

Motor Activity (MA)

Assesses the child’s observable level of motor activity and mobility during examination.

Reduced activity

Typical activity

Increased activity

-4 – -1: Reduced activity | 0: Typical activity | 1: Increased activity

A score of -1 falls in the Reduced activity range, suggesting mildly decreased motor activity compared with typical levels.

example score

-3/1

Attitude Toward Self (ATS)

Measures the child’s self-esteem and self-perception, ranging from self-criticism to confidence and self-acceptance.

Low self-regard

Neutral

Positive self-regard

-4 – -1: Low self-regard | 0: Neutral | 1: Positive self-regard

A score of -3 falls in the Low self-regard range, suggesting pronounced insecurity and self-critical self-perception at the time of observation.

example score

-1/1

Interests and Play (IaP)

Assesses the child’s engagement in play and activities, reflecting curiosity and interest in new pursuits.

Reduced interest

Typical interest

Heightened interest

-4 – -1: Reduced interest | 0: Typical interest | 1: Heightened interest

A score of -1 suggests mildly reduced engagement and interest in games or activities compared with the child’s usual level.

example score

-1/1

Sociability (S)

Assesses the child's openness and willingness to engage in social interaction.

Low sociability

Typical sociability

High sociability

-4 – -1: Low sociability | 0: Typical sociability | 1: High sociability

A score of -1 falls in the Low sociability range, suggesting reduced openness and a lower tendency to initiate or maintain interaction at the time of observation.

example score

-2/1

Mood (M)

Assesses the child's current overall emotional tone from depressed to elevated mood.

Low mood

Typical/neutral mood

Elevated mood

-4 – -1: Low mood | 0: Typical/neutral mood | 1: Elevated mood

A score of -2 falls in the Low mood range, suggesting a predominantly lowered emotional tone at the time of observation.

example score

-1/1

Overall Emotional State (OES)

This scale summarizes the child's overall emotional background by integrating mood, anxiety, activity, and related observable behaviors.

Lowered emotional tone

Balanced state

Elevated emotional background

-4 – -1: Lowered emotional tone | 0: Balanced state | 1: Elevated emotional background

A score of -1 falls in the lowered emotional tone range, suggesting a mild decrease in overall emotional background compared with a balanced state.

example score

-2/1

Voice (V)

Assesses the child’s vocal expression (intonation, volume, and expressiveness) as observed during interaction.

Monotone / subdued

Neutral / typical

Lively / expressive

-4 – -1: Monotone / subdued | 0: Neutral / typical | 1: Lively / expressive

A score of -2 falls in the monotone/subdued range, suggesting reduced vocal expressiveness and flatter intonation during observation.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Child psychologists and psychiatrists

46%OF USERS

Use it during sessions to quickly rate mood, anxiety, activity, and track changes over the course of treatment.

Pediatricians and clinic staff

32%OF USERS

Apply it in routine visits to spot warning signs and decide whether a child needs further mental health assessment.

School and institution counselors

22%OF USERS

Use it to document observable behavior shifts and communicate a clear snapshot of a child’s emotional state to caregivers and specialists.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

What You’ll See After You Finish the Test

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale, translated into plain, usable insights. Not just numbers, but what they actually mean for your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

A structured, clinically grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation — without alarmist language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how you compare to others. Your scores are placed in a statistical context, showing percentiles and trends based on anonymized platform data to help you understand what`s typical.

Practical
Recommendations

Actionable guidance tailored to your profile. Receive clear, realistic suggestions you can apply immediately — focused on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Detected
Insights

Key patterns you might not notice on your own. Surfacing subtle connections in your responses that help you better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Psychologist

Clarify, reflect, and explore right away. Talk through your outcomes, ask questions, and explore meanings in a calm, non-diagnostic dialogue environment.

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Used in 52+ countries

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you finish the test, your results will be compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of the benchmarks we use to place your score in context.

Anxiety, fear (Af)

Average

-0.5

Normal range

-1.4 — 0.3

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Facial Expressions (FE)

Average

-0.8

Normal range

-1.6 — -0.1

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Physical activity (Pa)

Average

-1.9

Normal range

-2.7 — -1.2

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Attitude toward the "Self" (Att")

Average

-1.5

Normal range

-2.2 — -0.8

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Interests, games (Ig)

Average

-1.8

Normal range

-2.5 — -1.1

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Sociability (S)

Average

-1.9

Normal range

-2.8 — -1

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Mood (M)

Average

-1.6

Normal range

-2.4 — -0.9

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Overall assessment of emotional state (Oaoes)

Average

-1.9

Normal range

-2.6 — -1.3

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

Voice (V)

Average

-2.6

Normal range

-3.5 — -1.7

min.

-4

max.

majority

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear here so you can see where you land.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this scale measure?

It rates observable indicators of mood, anxiety or fear, mental activity, and outward behavior. Scores reflect changes in affect, interests, sociability, and motor or voice expression.

Who completes the form?

A clinician completes it based on direct observation of the child. It is not intended for self-report.

How long does it take to complete?

Completion typically takes about 2 minutes. The form includes 8 items.

How should observations be made for scoring?

Score each item using behavior observed during the current contact or examination. Use typical behavior during the observation period rather than isolated moments.

How are the results used?

Subscale scores support tracking change over time and identifying clinically significant shifts. Results can assist with differentiating depressive versus elevated mood states and monitoring response to intervention.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Emotional State Scale Test

emotional state pediatrics

This brief clinician-rated measure is designed to support rapid characterization of a child’s current mood, anxiety-related features, and observable behavior. The Emotional State Scale provides a structured way to document changes over time in affect, activity/engagement, and behavioral expression.

The instrument includes 8 items and typically requires about 2 minutes to complete. Items are intended to be rated based on clinical observation to summarize features such as low mood versus elevated mood, shifts in psychomotor or social activity, and outward indicators (e.g., facial expression, movement, and voice).

In clinical and program settings, the Emotional State Scale may be used for brief screening and longitudinal monitoring to help identify meaningful change and support decisions about whether further evaluation is warranted. It is attributed to Peter M. Lewinsohn, James A. Russell, and Ed Diener.

Author: Ed Diener, James A. Russell, Peter M. Lewinsohn

Literature: Achenbach, T. M., & Rescorla, L. A. Manual for the ASEBA school-age forms & profiles. University of Vermont, Research Center for Children, Youth, & Families. 2001.

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