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Athlete Mental Reliability Scale (PNS-40)

Athlete Mental Reliability Scale (PNS-40) Test

Understand how well you stay focused, calm, and ready under pressure in just 8 minutes. Get clear insight into your strengths and stress triggers so training can target what matters most.

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Questions: 408 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

28266 views

2694 completions

2178 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

4/8

External Significance (ES)

Measures how strongly an athlete’s stress response is influenced by external circumstances and outside evaluation.

Internally guided

Balanced focus

Externally dependent

0 – 2: Internally guided | 3 – 5: Balanced focus | 6 – 8: Externally dependent

A score of 4 indicates a balanced focus where external factors matter but typically do not dominate coping in high-pressure situations.

example score

2/8

Internal Significance (IS)

Measures how strongly an athlete assigns importance to internal feelings and self-reflection when under competitive stress.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 5: Moderate | 6 – 8: High

A score of 2 indicates a low tendency to focus on internal emotions and self-analysis during stressful situations, with attention more likely oriented to external cues and actions.

example score

5/8

External Uncertainty (EU)

Measures how strongly an athlete feels challenged by uncertainty stemming from external conditions and changes.

Low

Moderate

High

0 – 2: Low | 3 – 5: Moderate | 6 – 8: High

A score of 5 indicates a moderate sensitivity to external uncertainty, suggesting occasional difficulty staying steady when conditions change unexpectedly.

example score

3/8

Internal Uncertainty (IU)

This scale measures how much internal uncertainty an athlete experiences under competitive stress, reflecting confidence in goals and abilities.

Low uncertainty

Moderate uncertainty

High uncertainty

0 – 2: Low uncertainty | 3 – 5: Moderate uncertainty | 6 – 8: High uncertainty

A score of 3 indicates moderate internal uncertainty, suggesting occasional doubts in high-pressure moments while generally maintaining direction and self-trust.

example score

7/32

Sensitivity to Stressors (StS)

This scale measures how strongly an athlete tends to react to and be affected by competition-related stressors.

Low sensitivity

Moderate sensitivity

High sensitivity

0 – 7: Low sensitivity | 8 – 12: Moderate sensitivity | 13 – 32: High sensitivity

A score of 7 indicates low sensitivity to stress factors, suggesting relatively stable adaptation under competitive pressure.

example score

-4/3

Stability and Distraction Resistance (SaDR)

Assesses resilience to distractions and the stability of an athlete’s functional state under pressure.

Low stability

Moderate stability

High stability

-6 – -1: Low stability | 0 – 2: Moderate stability | 3: High stability

A score of -4 indicates low noise immunity, suggesting concentration and performance may be more easily disrupted by internal or external distractions.

example score

-2/7

Motivational-Energy Component (MC)

Measures the athlete’s motivation and available energy to sustain effort and pursue competitive goals under pressure.

Low drive/energy

High drive/energy

-10 – -1: Low drive/energy | 0 – 7: High drive/energy

A score of -2 falls in the low drive/energy range, suggesting currently reduced motivation or limited energy to push for maximal effort.

example score

-2/6

Self-Regulation (S)

Assesses how well an athlete can recognize and regulate their emotional state and behavior under pressure.

Low

Moderate–High

-10 – -1: Low | 0 – 6: Moderate–High

A score of -2 falls in the Low range, suggesting self-regulation may be less consistent in stressful competitive situations.

example score

0/5

Competitive Emotional Stability (CES)

Measures how well an athlete maintains emotional balance and control under competitive stress.

Low resilience

Moderate resilience

High resilience

-12 – -1: Low resilience | 0: Moderate resilience | 1 – 5: High resilience

A score of 0 indicates moderate emotional resilience, suggesting generally stable emotional control in competition with occasional susceptibility to emotional fluctuations.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Competitive athletes under pressure

41%OF USERS

Athletes preparing for important competitions who want to understand how they handle stress, stay focused, and recover after mistakes.

Coaches and trainers

34%OF USERS

Coaches who assess mental toughness to tailor training, communication, and pre-competition routines to each athlete.

Sports psychologists and staff

25%OF USERS

Performance and medical support staff who screen stress triggers and emotional control to plan targeted mental skills work.

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.

external significance (es)

Average

5.9

Normal range

4.7 — 7.1

min.

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.

inner significance (is)

Average

3.4

Normal range

2.3 — 4.5

min.

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.

external uncertainty (eu)

Average

5.8

Normal range

4.8 — 6.9

min.

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.

internal uncertainty (iu)

Average

2.8

Normal range

1.5 — 4.2

min.

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.

Sensitivity to Stress Factors (StSF)

Average

9.8

Normal range

4.5 — 15.1

min.

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.

Stability - Noise Immunity (S-NI)

Average

-0.5

Normal range

-1.9 — 0.9

min.

-6

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.

Motivational-Energetic Component (MC)

Average

-5.6

Normal range

-8 — -3.3

min.

-10

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.

Self-regulation (S)

Average

-1

Normal range

-3.1 — 1.1

min.

-10

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.

Competitive Emotional Resilience (CER)

Average

-3.5

Normal range

-6.3 — -0.7

min.

-12

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 questionnaire measure?

It measures mental resilience under competitive stress, including concentration, emotional regulation, and readiness for unexpected events.

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

Completion time is about 8 minutes. It contains 40 items.

How should responses be selected?

Select the option that best matches typical reactions in training or competition. Answer all items without spending too much time on any single question.

What do the results provide?

Results indicate strengths and vulnerable areas in key mental mechanisms under pressure. They can guide targeted mental skills training and preparation strategies.

Is this questionnaire used for diagnosis or selection decisions?

It is not a diagnostic tool and does not determine eligibility or clinical status. Scores should be interpreted in context, preferably alongside other information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Mental Resilience of an Athlete, PNS-40 Test

Athlete Mental Reliability Scale (PNS-40) Test

sport

This measure assesses psychological functioning relevant to performance under competitive stress. The Athlete Mental Reliability Scale (PNS-40) is designed to characterize an athlete’s typical responses to pressure, with emphasis on stability of attention, emotional regulation, and coping.

It is a self-report questionnaire with 40 items and takes about 8 minutes to complete. Albert Bandura is cited as the author.

Results are generally interpreted as indicators of mental reliability and potential areas of vulnerability that may affect performance in high-stakes situations. The Athlete Mental Reliability Scale (PNS-40) may be used to inform individualized psychological skills work and to support training or pre-competition planning.

Author: Albert Bandura

Literature: Tenenbaum, G., & Eklund, R. C. Handbook of sport psychology. Wiley. 2007.; Smith, R. E., Smoll, F. L., & Schutz, R. W. Measurement and correlates of sport-specific cognitive and somatic trait anxiety: The Sport Anxiety Scale. Anxiety Research. 1990.

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