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Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S)

Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) Test

Understand how quickly, strongly, and how long your emotions react in about 4 minutes. Get clear, actionable insight into positive and negative patterns in just 18 items.

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Questions: 184 minutes

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08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

22614 views

1626 completions

1356 likes

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

12/15

Intensity (Negative Emotions) (I(E)

Measures how strongly and deeply you tend to experience negative emotions when they occur.

Lower intensity

Moderate intensity

Higher intensity

3 – 7: Lower intensity | 8 – 11: Moderate intensity | 12 – 15: Higher intensity

A score of 12 falls in the Higher intensity range, suggesting your negative emotions tend to be experienced as relatively strong and impactful when they arise.

example score

6/15

Duration (Negative Emotions) (D(E)

Measures how long negative emotional reactions tend to persist after something upsetting happens.

Short-lived

Moderate duration

Long-lasting

3 – 7: Short-lived | 8 – 11: Moderate duration | 12 – 15: Long-lasting

A score of 6 falls in the Short-lived range, suggesting negative feelings typically fade relatively quickly after a trigger.

example score

6/15

Activation (Negative Emotions) (A(E)

This scale measures how easily and quickly negative emotional reactions are triggered by stimuli.

Low activation

Moderate activation

High activation

3 – 7: Low activation | 8 – 11: Moderate activation | 12 – 15: High activation

A score of 6 suggests negative emotions tend to activate relatively slowly and require more noticeable triggers compared with higher scores.

example score

20/45

Overall Negative Emotion Reactivity (ONER)

This scale measures how strongly, quickly, and how long you tend to experience negative emotions in response to stimuli.

Lower reactivity

Moderate reactivity

Higher reactivity

9 – 21: Lower reactivity | 22 – 33: Moderate reactivity | 34 – 45: Higher reactivity

A score of 20 suggests a lower overall tendency for negative emotions to activate quickly, feel intense, or persist for long periods compared with higher scores on this scale.

example score

6/15

Intensity (Positive Emotions) (I(E)

This scale measures how strong and deep your positive emotional experiences tend to feel.

Lower intensity

Moderate intensity

Higher intensity

3 – 7: Lower intensity | 8 – 11: Moderate intensity | 12 – 15: Higher intensity

A score of 6 suggests your positive emotions are generally experienced with lower intensity compared with higher scores on this scale.

example score

9/15

Duration (Positive Emotions) (D(E)

Measures how long positive emotions tend to persist after a positive event or stimulus.

Short-lived

Moderate

Long-lasting

3 – 7: Short-lived | 8 – 11: Moderate | 12 – 15: Long-lasting

A score of 9 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting your positive feelings typically last a moderate amount of time after uplifting experiences.

example score

6/15

Activation (Positive Emotions) (A(E)

This scale measures how easily and quickly positive emotions are triggered in response to stimuli.

Low activation

Moderate activation

High activation

3 – 7: Low activation | 8 – 11: Moderate activation | 12 – 15: High activation

A score of 6 indicates low positive emotional activation, suggesting positive feelings tend to start more slowly or require stronger cues to arise.

example score

32/45

Overall Positive Emotion Reactivity (OPER)

Measures how quickly, strongly, and how long a person tends to experience positive emotions in response to stimuli.

Lower reactivity

Moderate reactivity

Higher reactivity

9 – 21: Lower reactivity | 22 – 33: Moderate reactivity | 34 – 45: Higher reactivity

A score of 32 indicates moderately reactive positive emotions, suggesting positive feelings tend to arise fairly readily, feel noticeable, and last a moderate amount of time.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

Therapy and coaching clients

41%OF USERS

People in counseling or coaching take it to map how quickly, strongly, and how long their positive and negative emotions tend to show up.

Mood regulation seekers

34%OF USERS

People who feel their emotions swing fast or linger too long use it to pinpoint whether activation, intensity, or duration is the main issue.

Researchers and students

25%OF USERS

Psychology researchers and students take it to gather quick, structured data on emotional reactivity for studies and projects.

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.

Intensity (negative emotions) (I(e)

Average

10.2

Normal range

8 — 12.4

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.

Duration (negative emotions) (D(e)

Average

11.3

Normal range

9.8 — 12.8

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.

Activation (negative emotions) (A(e)

Average

11.5

Normal range

9.9 — 13.1

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.

Overall Level of Reactivity to Negative Emotions (OLoRtNE)

Average

23.9

Normal range

18.5 — 29.2

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.

Intensity (positive emotions) (I(e)

Average

11.6

Normal range

9.8 — 13.3

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.

Duration (positive emotions) (D(e)

Average

7.9

Normal range

5.7 — 10.1

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.

Activation (positive emotions) (A(e)

Average

11.6

Normal range

9.7 — 13.6

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.

Overall Level of Reactivity of Positive Emotions (OLoRoPE)

Average

26.9

Normal range

22.3 — 31.6

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.

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CLEAR ANSWERS TO COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions

Any questions left?

What does this questionnaire measure?

It measures emotional reactivity across activation, intensity, and duration. Positive and negative emotions are scored separately.

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

It takes about 4 minutes to complete. It includes 18 statements.

How should responses be selected?

Select the option that best matches typical emotional reactions rather than a single unusual event. Respond based on usual patterns over time.

Is it a diagnostic tool?

It is not a diagnostic instrument and does not determine a mental health condition. Results describe response style and may support clinical discussion or research.

How are results interpreted?

Higher scores indicate faster onset, stronger intensity, or longer-lasting emotions in the relevant domain. Interpretation should consider context, recent stressors, and other assessment information.

WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale, PERS-S Test

Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) Test

affect emotionality

Emotional reactivity can vary meaningfully across individuals in how quickly emotions arise, how strongly they are felt, and how long they persist. The Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) is a brief self-report measure designed to characterize these features for both positive and negative emotions.

The instrument includes 18 items and typically requires about 4 minutes to complete. Responses yield indices reflecting activation, intensity, and duration of emotional responses, with positive and negative domains considered separately.

In clinical and research contexts, the Perth Emotion Reactivity Scale (PERS-S) may be used to support structured assessment of individual differences in emotional responding and to inform case formulation when emotional reactivity is a presenting concern.

Author: james-j-gross, richard-j-davidson

Literature: Gross, J. J. Emotion regulation: Conceptual and empirical foundations. In J. J. Gross (Ed.), Handbook of emotion regulation. Guilford Press. 2014.

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