Authenticity Inventory (AI-3) Test

See how well your actions match your values and feelings in about 6 minutes. A quick 32 item check offers clear feedback to reduce inner conflict and build genuine self trust.

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Questions: 326 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

29,615 views

3,640 completions

3,016 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

3/5

Relationships (R)

Measures how strongly a person values being genuine, open, and consistently themselves in close relationships.

Guarded

Balanced

Open & authentic

1 – 2.4: Guarded | 2.5 – 3.6: Balanced | 3.7 – 5: Open & authentic

A score of 3 suggests a balanced tendency toward authenticity in relationships, with openness in some situations and some selectivity about self-disclosure in others.

example score

4/5

Behavior (B)

Measures the extent to which a person’s actions align with their internal values, preferences, and needs rather than external approval.

Low alignment

Moderate alignment

High alignment

1 – 2.4: Low alignment | 2.5 – 3.6: Moderate alignment | 3.7 – 5: High alignment

A score of 4 indicates generally high behavioral alignment, meaning you tend to act in ways that fit your internal beliefs and needs even when outside expectations differ.

example score

3/5

Unbiasedness (U)

Impartiality measures how accurately and openly you can take in self-relevant information, including uncomfortable feedback, without distortion or defensiveness.

Defensive

Balanced

Open and accurate

1 – 2.4: Defensive | 2.5 – 3.6: Balanced | 3.7 – 5: Open and accurate

A score of 3 falls in the Balanced range, suggesting you generally acknowledge both strengths and weaknesses while occasionally filtering difficult self-information.

example score

3/5

Awareness (A)

Mindfulness measures how aware you are of your motives and feelings and how willing you are to trust and deepen that self-knowledge, including less pleasant aspects.

Low

Moderate

High

1 – 2.3: Low | 2.4 – 3.6: Moderate | 3.7 – 5: High

A score of 3 indicates a moderate level of mindfulness, suggesting generally adequate self-awareness with some room to strengthen trust in and exploration of inner experiences.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People in transition

41%OF USERS

They’re changing careers, relationships, or life direction and want clarity on what truly matters to them and how to act in line with it.

Therapy and coaching clients

34%OF USERS

They use the results to spot patterns of self-doubt or self-denial and set concrete goals for greater self-acceptance and honest behavior.

Psychology students and researchers

25%OF USERS

They take it for coursework or studies to measure authenticity and compare self-awareness, self-acceptance, and value-consistent action across groups.

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.

Relationships (R)

Average

3.9

Normal range

3.2 — 4.5

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.

Behavior (B)

Average

3.6

Normal range

3 — 4.1

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.

Impartiality (I)

Average

2.3

Normal range

1.6 — 2.9

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.

Mindfulness (M)

Average

2.7

Normal range

2.1 — 3.3

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.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

You will be presented with a series of statements that reflect different ways people may view themselves. For each statement, select the response that you believe describes you most accurately. There are no right or wrong answers; please respond as honestly as possible.

- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 32 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

Authenticity Inventory (AI-3) Test - Symptoms and Signs

authenticity

This measure assesses perceived authenticity, or the extent to which an individual experiences alignment among self-awareness, self-acceptance, and behavior. The Authenticity Inventory (AI-3) is commonly used to support clinical formulation and research on self-concept and values-consistent living.

The instrument, developed by Brian M. Goldman, consists of 32 items and typically takes about 6 minutes to complete. Responses are used to characterize relative strengths and vulnerabilities across key facets of authenticity and may help identify areas where incongruence or self-conflict is reported.

Results from the Authenticity Inventory (AI-3) should be interpreted in context with other assessment data and relevant clinical history; it is not intended to be used as a stand-alone diagnostic tool.

Author: Brian M. Goldman, Michael H. Kernis

Literature: Wood, A. M., Linley, P. A., Maltby, J., Baliousis, M., & Joseph, S. The authentic personality: A theoretical and empirical conceptualization and the development of the Authenticity Scale. Journal of Counseling Psychology. 2008.; Kernis, M. H., & Goldman, B. M. A multicomponent conceptualization of authenticity: Theory and research. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. 2006.