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General Decision-Making Style Inventory (GDMS)3

General Decision-Making Style Inventory (GDMS) Test

After a brief introduction, the General Decision-Making Style Inventory (GDMS) Test takes about 5 minutes and includes 25 questions. Your result describes tendencies toward logical analysis, intuition, quick action, postponement, and seeking advice, giving you a practical starting point for self-reflection about everyday choices.

Questions: 255 minutes

General Decision-Making Style Inventory (GDMS): sample question card

October 2, 2025October 2, 2025Material has been updatedOctober 2, 2025Material has been published

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Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

SpontaneousS

Measures how strongly a person prefers making quick, in-the-moment decisions rather than deliberating or postponing choices.

example score13/20

13/20Balanced paceexample score

4 – 9Deliberate

10 – 14Balanced pace

15 – 20Impulsive

A score of 13 falls in the Balanced pace range, suggesting you can decide fairly quickly when needed while still using some reflection in the process.

AvoidantA

Measures the tendency to postpone decisions or avoid making choices, especially when decisions feel difficult or responsibility is salient.

example score19/25

19/25Highexample score

5 – 11Low

12 – 18Moderate

19 – 25High

A score of 19 indicates a high avoidant style, suggesting decisions are often delayed or sidestepped when choosing feels challenging.

DependentD

Measures the degree to which a person seeks advice and guidance from others when making decisions.

example score19/25

19/25Highly Dependentexample score

5 – 11Independent

12 – 18Balanced

19 – 25Highly Dependent

A score of 19 indicates a strong tendency to rely on others’ input and reassurance before making choices.

IntuitiveI

Measures the extent to which a person relies on hunches and feelings when making decisions.

example score21/30

21/30Moderate intuitiveexample score

6 – 13Low intuitive

14 – 22Moderate intuitive

23 – 30High intuitive

A score of 21 indicates a moderate preference for using gut feelings and inner impressions, while still leaving room for other decision-making approaches.

RationalR

Measures how strongly a person tends to gather information and logically compare options before deciding.

example score18/25

18/25Moderately rationalexample score

5 – 12Less rational

13 – 19Moderately rational

20 – 25Highly rational

A score of 18 suggests a moderately rational style, with a consistent tendency to weigh evidence and alternatives while still leaving some room for faster or less analytical choices.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Coaches and mentors

41%OF USERS

They use it to quickly understand a client’s decision habits and choose the right coaching focus.

Team leads and HR

34%OF USERS

They use it to anticipate how people decide under pressure and improve collaboration and role fit.

Self-improvement seekers

25%OF USERS

They take it to spot their default decision style and work on balancing it in daily life.

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.

Shaded area — where most people score

Dot — the average

You — your score lands on each curve after the test— your score, after the test

SpontaneousS

You?

Average9.3

Typical rangeTypical7.3 – 11.3

Possible4 – 20

AvoidantA

You?

Average11.8

Typical rangeTypical8.4 – 15.2

Possible5 – 25

DependentD

You?

Average12

Typical rangeTypical8.4 – 15.6

Possible5 – 25

IntuitiveI

You?

Average22.5

Typical rangeTypical19.4 – 25.6

Possible6 – 30

RationalR

You?

Average14.2

Typical rangeTypical10.4 – 18

Possible5 – 25

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree
- Disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Agree

These are 3 of the 25 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

General Decision-Making Style Inventory (GDMS) Test - Description and methodology of the test

decision making

People who want to understand how they approach everyday choices can use the General Decision-Making Style Inventory (GDMS) Test as a structured self-reflection tool. This decision-making style assessment focuses on the habits that appear when choices require speed, information, confidence, or outside input. Results help you notice a preferred pattern without reducing every decision to a single fixed personality label.

What This Assessment Explores

Across this GDMS questionnaire, the profile describes tendencies, not fixed abilities. It suits readers reflecting on planning, speed, uncertainty, inner feelings, and advice from others. A higher result indicates a stronger expression of a style in this questionnaire, not that the style is preferable in every situation.

The five displayed dimensions are:

Spontaneous (4-20) measures quick, in-the-moment choices; bands are Deliberate (4-9), Balanced pace (10-14), and Impulsive (15-20).
Avoidant (5-25) measures postponing or avoiding choices; bands are Low (5-11), Moderate (12-18), and High (19-25).
Dependent (5-25) measures reliance on advice; bands are Independent (5-11), Balanced (12-18), and Highly Dependent (19-25).
Intuitive (6-30) measures trust in feelings; bands are Low intuitive (6-13), Moderate intuitive (14-22), and High intuitive (23-30).
Rational (5-25) measures careful information use; bands are Less rational (5-12), Moderately rational (13-19), and Highly rational (20-25).

Methodology and Scientific Basis

Each statement uses a five-point agreement scale from Disagree to Agree. The items cover information checking, timing, worry, intuition, logic, and consultation. The questionnaire reports separate scores for the five styles, and the displayed bands provide a descriptive reading of each result; each band locates the tendency within its dimension.

Methodologically, this decision-making styles test uses the five-style framework associated with General Decision-Making Style (Scott & Bruce, 1995). Loo (2000) evaluated the inventory’s psychometric properties, while Spicer and Sadler-Smith (2005) examined its use in two UK samples. Neither study establishes norms for this online version.

Interpretation is strongest when the profile is read as a combination of tendencies: a person may check facts carefully yet trust a feeling, or seek advice while retaining responsibility for the final choice. The online questionnaire adapts the 25-item General Decision-Making Style Inventory of Scott and Bruce (1995), rather than reproducing its original research administration. Self-report can be shaped by current stress, memory, self-awareness, and impression management. Use the result to guide reflection, not as a clinical assessment or a forecast of one correct decision.

Author: Scott G. Parker, Suzanne C. Bruine de Bruin

Literature:

Scott, S. G., & Bruce, R. A. (1995). Decision-Making Style: The Development and Assessment of a New Measure. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 55(5), 818–831. 10.1177/0013164495055005017
Loo, R. (2000). A Psychometric Evaluation of the General Decision-Making Style Inventory. Personality and Individual Differences, 29(5), 895–905. 10.1016/S0191-8869(99)00241-X
Spicer, D. P., & Sadler-Smith, E. (2005). An Examination of the General Decision Making Style Questionnaire in Two UK Samples. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 20(2), 137–149. 10.1108/02683940510579777

Updated: 2025-10-02