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Long-Term and Short-Term Motivation Scale

Long-Term and Short-Term Motivation Scale Test

See whether you’re driven more by long-range goals or quick wins in about 5 minutes. Use the 23 questions to guide coaching, hiring, or personal plans for steadier follow-through and better focus.

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Questions: 235 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

19,841 view

1,457 completions

1,273 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

46/55

Short-Term Motivation (STM)

Measures how strongly a person prefers short-term goals and quick, immediately rewarding results.

Lower short-term focus

Balanced short-term focus

High short-term focus

11 – 22: Lower short-term focus | 23 – 34: Balanced short-term focus | 35 – 55: High short-term focus

A score of 46 falls in the High short-term focus range, suggesting a strong preference for quick wins, fast feedback, and tasks with immediate rewards.

example score

31/60

Long-Term Motivation (LTM)

This scale measures the tendency to pursue goals over extended periods through planning, persistence, and tolerance for delayed rewards.

Short-horizon focus

Balanced persistence

Strong long-term drive

12 – 30: Short-horizon focus | 31 – 42: Balanced persistence | 43 – 60: Strong long-term drive

A score of 31 falls in the Balanced persistence range, suggesting a moderate capacity to stay with longer plans while still valuing nearer-term progress.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Goal-setters and planners

41%OF USERS

People working toward big milestones want to know whether they naturally stick with long-term plans or need more short-term wins to stay engaged.

Students and career switchers

33%OF USERS

Those choosing a study path or new job use the test to understand what kind of progress rhythm keeps them motivated over weeks and months.

Coaches, therapists, HR specialists

26%OF USERS

Professionals use it to tailor goals, feedback, and routines to a client’s or candidate’s preference for steady long-range effort versus quick results.

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

RESULTS YOU CAN ACTUALLY USE

Scale Results
— Explained Clearly

Your scores across each test scale are translated into plain, usable insights. You won’t just get numbers — you’ll learn how your results impact your daily life, emotional state, and overall well-being.

AI-Powered
Interpretation

You’ll receive a structured, clinically-grounded explanation. Our AI analyzes patterns and relationships between scales to provide a coherent interpretation, without exaggerated language.

Statistical
Comparison

See how your results compare to others. Anonymized platform data is used to create a percentile scale, which identifies whether your results are typical.

Practical
Recommendations

You’ll receive clear, actionable guidance tailored to your profile. These easy-to-implement suggestions focus on coping, self-regulation, and realistic next steps.

AI-Powered
Insights

Get insights on behavioral and thought patterns you might not notice on your own. By uncovering subtle connections between your responses, you’ll better understand what may be driving your current results.

Discuss with
an AI Therapist

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

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Used in 52+ countries

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.

Short-term motivation (Sm)

Average

35.4

Normal range

27.6 — 43.2

min.

max.

Majority

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.

Long-term motivation (Lm)

Average

28.5

Normal range

19.9 — 37.1

min.

max.

Majority

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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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures preference for long-range goal pursuit versus focus on immediate, short-range outcomes. Results describe whether motivation is more sustained over time or more responsive to quick rewards.

How long does it take and how many items are included?

Completion time is about 5 minutes. The questionnaire includes 23 items.

How should responses be selected?

Select the option that best reflects typical behavior, not an ideal or intended response. Use the first response that seems accurate and avoid overthinking individual items.

How should results be interpreted?

Higher long-term scores suggest persistence, planning, and tolerance for delayed outcomes. Higher short-term scores suggest preference for quick feedback, rapid task switching, and immediate reinforcement.

How can the results be used in practice?

Results can support goal setting, training plans, and coaching by matching strategies to motivational style. They may also inform selection, counseling, and treatment planning when combined with other information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Long-Term and Short-Term Motivation Scale Test - Symptoms and Signs

motivation

This self-report measure assesses individual differences in temporal focus in goal pursuit, including preferences for sustained effort toward distal goals versus emphasis on immediate, near-term outcomes. The Long-Term and Short-Term Motivation Scale can be used to support clinical formulation and treatment planning when motivational style is relevant to behavior change.

The instrument contains 23 items and typically requires about 5 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements describing their motivational tendencies and reactions to goals across time frames. Scores are commonly interpreted as indicators of relative long-term and short-term motivational orientation; results should be considered in the context of presenting concerns, functional impairment, and corroborating clinical information.

The Long-Term and Short-Term Motivation Scale is attributed to Edward L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan and may be administered in clinical, counseling, organizational, or research settings to characterize motivational patterns that could inform individualized goal-setting and intervention strategies.

Author: Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan

Literature: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry. 2000.

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